26 Hall of Famers Emerge from Corn as Schwarber Homers in Field of Dreams Game

Kyle Schwarber hit a home run on the third pitch from Taj Bradley as 26 Hall of Fame members gathered in Dyersville for the Field of Dreams game.

Kyle Schwarber launched a home run to right field on the third pitch delivered by Minnesota Twins starter Taj Bradley to open the scoring at the newly constructed ballpark in Dyersville, Iowa. The Philadelphia Phillies slugger’s blast highlighted a night where 26 members of the Hall of Fame emerged from the outfield corn, mimicking the ghost players from the 1989 film. A capacity crowd of approximately 8,000 spectators attended the event in northeast Iowa, which featured the Twins wearing 1961 home throwback uniforms while the Phillies donned 1940 road jerseys.

Before the first pitch, Byron Buxton was activated from the injured list and addressed the crowd, reciting the line, "The one constant through all the years has been baseball." The pregame ceremony marked the largest gathering of living Hall of Famers at a ballpark since the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, representing roughly one-third of the living Cooperstown membership. Fireworks were discharged from the cornfield during the national anthem, following a pregame video narrated by Kevin Costner, who played Ray Kinsella in the original movie. Costner did not attend the game in person despite his appearance at the inaugural 2021 event.

Cooperstown Legends Return to the Corn

The 26 legends formed a half-ring around the infield after walking through the stalks. Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton appeared in Phillies uniforms, while Joe Mauer and Bert Blyleven wore Twins jerseys. Jim Kaat, who played for both franchises during his career, also participated in the ceremony. The remaining 21 Hall of Famers included Andruw Jones, Harold Baines, Fred McGriff, Adrián Beltré, Andre Dawson, Larry Walker, Cal Ripken Jr., Iván Rodríguez, Jim Thome, Scott Rolen, Tony Pérez, Tony La Russa, Jeff Kent, Fergie Jenkins, Joe Torre, CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner, Rollie Fingers, Lee Smith, and Trevor Hoffman.

Family Ties and Farm Traditions

Personal connections to the game’s history were prominent throughout the day. Twins manager Derek Shelton played catch with his 78-year-old father, a former high school coach, on the original movie site. Phillies manager Don Mattingly, whose son serves as the team's general manager, compared the Dyersville landscape to his childhood in Indiana. Byron Buxton also spent time playing catch with his 12-year-old son on the movie site, which remains open to the public for free on non-event days.

Ballpark Amenities and Charitable Pledges

The permanent stadium used for the contest features modern upgrades including a video board in left field, a state-of-the-art sound system, and indoor plumbing. A hand-operated scoreboard in right field maintained the nostalgic aesthetic of the farmland setting. During the broadcast on Netflix, it was announced that sponsor John Deere pledged $100,000 to the hunger-relief organization Feeding America for every home run hit during the game.

Both clubs entered the matchup positioned in their respective wild-card races. Phillies star Bryce Harper noted the importance of the series, stating that despite the unique location, the team still needed to win three games against the Twins. The event took place on an idyllic late-summer night following heavy rainfall that moved through the Dyersville area earlier in the day.