DYERSVILLE, Iowa — Long before he was a major league manager, even before all the Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers and MVP awards, Don Mattingly was a kid playing baseball in Indiana.
Read more Phillies vs. Twins Field of Dreams photos
One of the ballparks he played in with his brothers, growing up in Evansville, was down a dirt road surrounded by cornfields. And he couldn’t help but be reminded of it as the Phillies filed off their bus Thursday afternoon in Dyersville, Iowa, at the site of their Field of Dreams game.
Beyond center field of the ballpark where the Phillies took on the Twins, past rows upon rows of corn stalks is the actual set used to film the 1989 movie. The Phillies wandered around the site with their families and friends before the game, exploring the field, bleachers, and house that are all iconic parts of the film.
“Just kind of seeing the house and making sure when I crossed over the chalk line, I didn’t turn into a normal human being,” Bryce Harper said. “Seeing just all of it. Just really cool to be able to be part of it, and be here, and enjoy it.”
Bryson Stott watched the movie with his wife during the Phillies’ last homestand. He’d seen it before, but the latest viewing had a bit more significance knowing the game was on the horizon.
“I paid attention to the little stuff that’s going on, and just trying to see what I would be able to see here, knowing that we’re coming here,” Stott said.
The movie Field of Dreams itself is as much about fathers and sons as it is about baseball. Kevin Costner’s Ray Kinsella builds the ballpark as a way to connect with his late father’s passion for the game. Their relationship is a main thread throughout, and culminates with Kinsella playing a game of catch with a younger version of his father.
For some players, the logistics of having just one game in Iowa were too complicated to bring their families along for the experience. But not for Mattingly, who shares a workplace with his son Preston, the Phillies general manager. He was also be able to bring along his youngest son, 11-year-old Louie.
The Mattingly trio took a photo together on the field pregame. Don and Louie also played a game of catch, just like Ray and his father did in the movie.
Read more Union knocked out of Leagues Cup with 2-0 loss to Liga MX’s Santos Laguna
“It’s just been a cool dynamic overall to work alongside of [Preston] and be a part of that,” Don Mattingly said. “And then just my little one just being around. Times have changed for kids and families at ballparks and things like that, during BP. And that change is for the better. Your kids get to hang out in the locker room and just be around the guys. It’s been a good experience.”
Despite all the fanfare, however, the Phillies are aware that the game isn’t an exhibition. Both teams are in the midst of a wild-card race, and are looking to turn things around after a substandard recent performance.
The Phillies had lost six of their last eight series out of the All-Star break and entered Thursday tied with the Diamondbacks for the final wild-card spot. Since Arizona has the tiebreaker, the Phillies have fallen out of playoff position for the first time since early June.
“We know we have to win games, especially now and coming down the stretch,” Stott said. “It breaks it up in a sense where we’re not in Minnesota for three games, but we’re still playing the Twins three times, and got to win some games. And we’re going to try to enjoy being here, but also the main thing is to win the game.”
Extra bases
The Phillies added outfielder Kameron Misner to the roster as the additional player permitted for Thursday’s Field of Dreams game. Misner was acquired in a July trade with the Kansas City Royals in exchange for cash considerations. In 75 games at the triple-A level across both organizations, the left-handed hitter has a .272/.371/.529 slash line. … Catcher Rafael Marchán (left knee patellar tendinitis) began a rehab assignment for triple-A Lehigh Valley Thursday. … Following Friday’s off day, Jesús Luzardo (10-5, 3.32 ERA) is scheduled to start against Twins left-hander Connor Prielipp (3-5,4.79) at Target Field.
Tony Gwynn Jr. is a former major league outfielder and son of late Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. Over the last two years, he got to know new Phillies second baseman Luis Arraez, whose contact skills at the plate often draw comparisons to Gwynn. Tony Jr. joined Phillies Extra to discuss his father, Arraez, and the bonds that connect them. Watch here.
You can also subscribe to the podcast version of Phillies Extra on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Previous episodes: Kevin Stocker | Bobby Dickerson | Jim Bowden | John Middleton | Ryan Howard | Dan Baker | Ricky Bottalico | Preston Mattingly | Caleb Cotham | Larry Bowa