Chicago White Sox HOF’er Frank Thomas Buys Iowa’s Field of Dreams
The Chicago Tribune is reporting this afternoon that Chicago White Sox Hall of Famer Frank Thomas and investors are buying the "Field of Dreams" complex in Dyersburg, Iowa. Technically, they are buying the company that owns the property, a venture appropriately named Go The Distance Baseball. With the purchase comes the movie set from the classic film, along with ball field used in August for the inaugural Field of Dreams game.
Thomas will act as chief executive officer for the company, while former White Sox executive and Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager Dan Evans will be the chief operating officer.
The group is buying the controlling interest in the property from another Chicago-based group that purchased it a decade ago, with hopes of commercializing the area and also expanding opportunities for youth baseball. The current owners faced lawsuits from surrounding neighbors unhappy with the growth and added traffic. It was that group's goal to bring a Major League game to Dyersburg, and that dream was finally realized last month. The success of the first game, with White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson hitting a walk-off home run to win the game, drew rave reviews, and figures to be an annual summer staple on the schedule (the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds are already scheduled to face each other in 2022), much like the Winter Classic has become for the National Hockey League.