ITINERARY
{ MOVI ES }
RelivingtheDream
A famous fieldgetsa second life thanks inpart tobaseball vet
WADEBOGGS
.
DYERSVILLE,
IOWA
16
APRIL 01, 2013
AA.COM/AMERICANWAY
G
,
with theBostonRedSox and theNew
York Yankees, Hall of Famer Wade
Boggsplayedball incowpasturesandvacant lots,
using inner tubes andcardboardboxes asbases.
Nextspring,Boggsand investmentgroupGo the
DistanceBaseball will provide youth baseball
and softball teams fromaround the
worldwithAll-StarBallparkHeaven,
a state-of-the-art complex featuring
24tournamentfields, indoorworkout
andtrainingrooms, and lodging.But
whatmakes this project evenmore
special isthattheentirecomplexwill
besituated inDyersville, Iowa, justa
milenorthof the cornfield featured
in themodern-day classicbaseball film
Fieldof
Dreams
,starringKevinCostner.Thefield,imbued
with ghosts of baseball past (at least according
to the 1989film), alongwith the rest of the 193-
acreproperty,had longbeenforsale,whenBoggs
and companymadeabottom-of-the-ninth save.
“We’rekeepingthefield, thehouse, thebarn,allof
thecorn,” says the54-year-old, 12-timeAll-Star
thirdbaseman.“Youdon’tkillthefieldofdreams.
Wewant thenextmajor leaguers to comeout of
thisplace.”
To that end,Boggswillmake regularvisits to
BallparkHeaven,occasionally leadingclinicsand
coachingworkshops after the$75million site’s
phase-onegrandopeninginMay2014,whichBoggs
hopestokicko©withanoutdoor,on-fieldscreening
oftheOscar-nominatedfilm.Thecom-
plex isalreadypickingup steam, gen-
eratingsomemuch-neededeconomic
activity in the region; shortly after
theprojectwasannounced,60 teams
fromaroundthecountrysignedupfor
tournament play,withmore joining
eachweek. “Webuilt it, and they’re
coming,”Boggssays,paraphrasingthe
film’smostmemorable lineofdialogue.
BallparkHeavenwillalsoo©erplentyof room
for families to enjoy the cornfield vistas’ natu-
ral beauty and the simplepleasures of baseball
itself. “Oneof thebig takeaways forme from the
moviewasthateverybodyjustwantstoplaycatch
withtheirdad.Wealldo,don’twe?”Boggsopines.
“Ihope to seea lot of that there too. It’sa sliceof
Americana.”—°.± ²²³
“Webuiltit,
andthey’re
coming,”
Boggssays.
THE LOUI SVI L LE SLUGGER
T IMEL INE
1884
TheHillerich familymakes the
first professional bat for Louisville
Eclipseplayer
PETEBROWNING
,
whosenickname is “the
LouisvilleSlugger.”
1894
“LOUISVILLESLUGGER”
is regis-
teredwith theU.S. government as
anofficial trademark for thebats
madebyHillerich.
1905
Oneof baseball’s first superstars,
HONUS“THEFLYINGDUTCH-
MAN”WAGNER
, signs a contract
withHillerich. His autographona
Sluggermarks the first timeapro
athleteendorses aproduct.
1908
TYCOBB
signson for a lineof
autographedSluggers.
1915
LouisvilleSlugger debuts a
YOUTH-SIZE
model.
1919
The company, renamed
HILLERICH&BRADSBYCO.
,
launches its first national adver-
tising campaign.
1949
The first
SILVERBATAWARD
(akaLouisvilleSluggerAward) is
presented toAmericanLeague
batting champGeorgeKell of
theDetroit Tigers andNational
Leaguewinner JackieRobinsonof
theBrooklynDodgers.
1970
Pittsburgh-basedAluminum
CompanyofAmerica (now
ALCOA INC.
)manufactures the
first aluminumLouisvilleSluggers.
2006
LouisvilleSlugger produces
PINK
BATS
forMLBplayers touse
onMother’sDay, raisingmoney
for breast–cancer researchand
inspiringanannual tradition.
2007
KENGRIFFEYJR.
receives the
first LouisvilleSluggerMuseum&
FactoryLivingLegendAward.
—CHRIS TUCKER
