“Field of Dreams” is about believing in something bigger than yourself, which may be why this story about a farmer’s supernatural cornfield pairs so well with the American pastime of baseball. While Ray Kinsella’s (Kevin Costner) experience with the spirits of Major League Baseball players is fiction, “Field of Dreams” is inspired by untold true events connected to a dark time in baseball’s history.
After Ray builds a baseball diamond in his cornfield, he’s introduced to the ghost of “Shoeless Joe” Jackson (Ray Liotta, who died in 2022). Jackson was a real baseball player who played for the Chicago White Sox from 1916 to 1920. That’s when his career ended, after being accused of helping the White Sox throw the 1919 World series in a gambling scheme. According to the Chicago History Museum, he was one of eight White Sox players accused of being involved in the scandal. They were all suspended from organized baseball for life despite later being acquitted.
The museum points out that the idea of throwing games to boost gambler takes was nothing new. However, one gambler’s interview about the botched World Series, along with a subsequent investigation that included several confessions by players, shined a spotlight on the problem. Timing only increased the scandal’s visibility, since this was the first World Series after the official end of World War I. All eight suspended players are depicted in “Field of Dreams,” and the film shapes our perception of these men, despite the fact that the story itself is fiction.
How Field of Dreams uplifts the legacies of eight Chicago White Sox players
During the magical end of “Field of Dreams,” Ray admits that he used to feel negatively about Jackson, and that fueled a devastating fight with Ray’s late father. Despite the grief he still feels over a rift he believes he can never repair, Ray builds his field with his own big hopes in mind, even putting in lights for night games. Jackson is in awe and even a little timid until he sees Ray’s excitement during their first practice sessions. Jackson soon realizes that he can’t leave the field, though, which may be God’s way of telling him to keep his focus on the game. This, coupled with the influence of his fellow players, reminds him that they have a second chance to free themselves from history’s judgment. That’s a theme of particular importance in W.P. Kinsella’s book, “Shoeless Joe,” which “Field of Dreams” mostly adapts.
While the film has done a lot to change the popular perception of these players, Major League Baseball has been doing some work of its own. In May 2025, league commissioner Rob Manfred posthumously reinstated all eight of the accused players. They are now eligible for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. It’s a moment that Jackson’s family fought to achieve for decades. Jackson’s descendant, Lester Erwin, told Fox Carolina News, “Everything that he did and these other guys did, I think they should put that in the past, and they should concentrate on what they did on the baseball field.”
How Major League Baseball has honored Field of Dreams
Despite Major League Baseball’s past feelings about the Black Sox Scandal, the League continues to honor “Field of Dreams” by bringing teams out to the real life version of that fictional hallowed field. In 2021, the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees faced off at the iconic filming location in Iowa, and MLB highlights on YouTube show the players entering the baseball diamond from the cornfield. The choice of teams is important. Fans will automatically recognize the significance of the Chicago White Sox, but eagle-eyed fans will recall that Ray Kinsella’s father, John (Dwier Brown), wears a Yankees jersey at the end of the film.
More than 30 years after “Field of Dreams” premiered, fans are still mesmerized by the story of that supernatural cornfield, haunted by an eerie voice that remains the biggest mystery in the movie. Those who are looking to walk onto the same pitch as the “Field of Dreams” cast can visit the field’s location in Dyersville, Iowa. The Field of Dreams Movie Site hosts plenty of events, including a fall festival, and major musical acts like Tim McGraw hold concerts regularly. Fans with a few bucks can rent out the space as well. For those who can’t make the trip to Iowa, the site hosts a live webcam that allows you to watch some of its events — including baseball games — from the comfort of your home.