Field of Dreams

was a movie made in 1989. It was a huge hit and starred Kevin Costner. It was about baseball, fathers and sons, family, America, and dreams.

Major League Baseball came up with the idea to play a real game at the movie set in Iowa. Sure, a gimmick promotion. Nevertheless, not a bad idea considering the misery of last seventeen months.

I tuned in, being a fan of the game, and the Yankees, for sixty-five years. Since I was just about knee-high to Aaron Judge, and well short of an elephant’s eye. Which is how tall the corn grows.

The Game

was without a doubt, the game of the century! The setting was gorgeous. A ball field surrounded by corn and an old farm house. Blue skies, old-time bleachers (only 8,000 seats), and green as far as the eye could see. Except for the white, clap-board farmhouse.

Entering the ninth inning, the Chicago White Sox were leading the New York Yankees 7 to 4. I had enjoyed all the interviews, the setting, the nostalgia; but was disappointed. Because it looked like sure defeat for my team. And it has been a very rough year for the bombers from the Bronx.

The Yankee Strain

is what All Star, New York pitcher, Gerrit Cole called the COVID-19 that attacked his team. He was the latest player to be struck by the virus. There have been 12 so far, and all were vaccinated. He said he was miserable for four days, but felt fine now.

Protocol is quarantine for 10 days with no baseball activity. Then two consecutive negative tests before re-joining the team. Slugger Aaron Judge missed 10 games after the All Star game in July.

The Ninth Inning

could not have been written any more dramatic. Down by three, the odds of a comeback are nearly zero. Judge came to bat with two out and a runner on first. Bamm! Into the corn it goes. Judge’s second Ruthian blast of the game and now the Yanks are down by only one. But, there are two outs and no one on base. However, Sox pitcher Liam Hendricks (all giggles and so cool before), walks Joey Gallo and then Giancarlo Stanton sends a rocket into the tall stalks. Yankees lead 8-7.

I’m all smiles now. Things are going to be okay. We’ve got this.

Superstition

is rampant among sports fans. Ask anyone. I don’t know why. If your team wins, you win. And your team winning depends on what you do and say, eat and drink, sit or stand. Even what you wear. The data doesn’t matter – only that it works sometimes. And the players? worse than the fans. Watch them. It’s a riot. Okay, sure it drives some people nuts and is one reason why they hate the game. Maybe a reaction formation?

Yesterday

the Yankees got payback. In the bottom of ninth Thursday, Zack Britton, the Yankee pitcher gives up a walk and then a home run to Tim Anderson. Yankees lose 9-8. Aaron Judge calls those types of loses, “gut punches”. However, the team keeps coming back. They won Saturday with an extra inning thriller. Judge homers again and Joey Gallo hits two, including the game winner in the tenth.

Baseball

is America’s game – the National Pastime. There’s nothing like it. No clock, just 27 outs. An at bat can last seconds, or seemingly days. Three strikes and you’re out, but fouls don’t count after two. Hang in there. There’s always tomorrow. Go team.

The game is a field of dreams.