Yankees’ players discuss ‘Field of Dreams’ game experience: ‘A breathtaking setting’

The New York Yankees spent their Thursday breathing some countryside fresh air, absorbing every bit of history and nostalgia in the cornfields and the farmhouse that gave life to the 1989 movie “Field of Dreams”, a classic among baseball fans. They toured the diamond and the 8,000-seat stadium.

It’s too bad they couldn’t secure a win in a game that saw them trail for almost the entire nine innings, only to come back in the final frame with four runs to put the game 8-7 and then lose it 9-8 on a walk-off two-run homer by White Sox’s shortstop Tim Anderson.

The fact that the Yankees could hit a couple of two-run homers against All-Star closer Liam Hendriks was nothing short of amazing.

“We came back and almost gave them a terrible loss,” Stanton said to MLB.com. “But you never want the game to finish like that, especially battling back. But we’re still in this series, and we need this series.”

The Yankees suffered a crushing loss

The game started with actor Kevin Costner handing the field over to the players, in a really cool scene, every bit as exciting as the movie. But Anderson’s blast against Zack Britton in the bottom of the ninth made sure Chicago went home celebrating.

“That ruined it a little bit, honestly,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “We’re here with business to do and these games are huge. It’s tough to walk in here after a tough loss, after it looked like you stole it back. But that said, it was as special and breathtaking a setting for a baseball game that I can ever remember being a part of.”

Yankees’ outfielder Brett Gardner also enjoyed the day from start to end. “Just a first-class experience all the way around,” Gardner said. “I’ve never been here in the state of Iowa, so it was a beautiful, beautiful countryside. I thought the ballpark and the atmosphere and the old field over there was really special to be a part of. It was something we had been looking forward to for a long time. It didn’t disappoint.”

“This just felt different from anything I’ve experienced,” Stanton said. “It’s definitely up there in the special experiences I’ve had in baseball.”