It's still a year away, but ground has already been broken at the site of the Field of Dreams game that will take place next August in Dyersville, Iowa. Now that the White Sox and Yankees have made it official, there is no time being wasted in getting the stadium in tip top shape for 2020.
Construction and maintenance of the field as well as sight grading will be overseen by BrightView, the nation's leading landscape services company and the Major League Baseball's sports turf consultant. BaAM Productions, the company behind the NHL Winter Classic, is the executive producer of the project. BaAM and architectural design company Populous are overseeing the design and infrastructure of the ballpark and the site. These three companies were also the brains behind the MLB game between the Marlins and Braves at Fort Bragg in 2016.
Each BrightView employee on the project is part of the STMA (Sports Turf Managers Association). They will be working over the next 12 months in turning 17 acres of land into a stadium complete with foul poles, netting, drainage system, and a limited number of seats. The measurements of the stadium are 335 down the lines, 380 in the alleys, and 400 to straightaway center.
Murray Cook, former president of STMA and current president of BrightView had this to say on the project:
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"This is a very special project. Everything will be built from scratch. From the pitchers mound, to the outfield, to the entire ballpark itself. Being the first MLB game in Iowa, we are especially pleased to have as many Iowans on our construction and maintenance teams to assist with the project."
The majority of the site work will take place this fall. In the Spring of 2020, the sod will be added and the field should be completed in full by mid-July 2020. Following the historic event, the field will remain, complete with fencing. This leaves open the opportunity for future games at the Field of Dreams for years to come. A real treat for baseball fans of all ages.
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