The Phillies are flying to a cornfield in Iowa to play baseball, yet the biggest story isn’t the movie set backdrop. It is the strange lineup math happening while they pack their bags. Luis Arraez has hit rock bottom, and Bryce Harper is ignoring a knee that should be on ice.
Per The Good Phight, Arraez has entered one of the worst slumps of his entire career since joining Philadelphia. This is not just a bad week; it is a major worry for a team that needs him to hit. The front office believes he will find his way out soon, but the current numbers look bleak. The team has been forced to try very unconventional things with their lineup design to make Arraez work. They are moving players around in ways that have never been seen before just to fit his bat into the order.
Bryce Harper is dealing with his own issues on the field. He moved back to right field recently, and a knee problem flared up again immediately after the switch. Most players would sit out or get an MRI right away. Harper is not too concerned about the pain. He wants to keep playing through it while the team travels to Dyersville.
The trip to Iowa brings a unique twist for Derek Hill. He is an Iowa native who grew up watching the movie on TV. He told reporters he has never been out there before, so he is excited to see the corn and the field they actually filmed it at. He wants to just be in that atmosphere because he thinks it is going to be really cool. Hill feels like the day will be a full-circle moment for him and his family.
To host MLB games, a new stadium was built, and the team intends to walk from the original field featured in the movie to that location. They will take a path through the same cornfield where the deceased legends emerged from in “Field of Dreams.” Kyle Schwarber knows they will have a lot of different activities before the game. He said those things will make it feel nostalgic and make you feel like you are playing back in the day. Schwarber feels like it will be a really cool thing and hopes they have a great time.
Manager Don Mattingly has seen games like this before. He was the Yankees hitting coach in Japan and managed the Dodgers in Australia. He also led the Marlins at Fort Bragg in 2016. He said these games are fun for him because they are somewhere different. He will remember this one more vividly than just another game somewhere else. Mattingly is also excited to see where Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones filmed the 1989 classic.
The Phillies lost their last series to the Cardinals by a score of 7-1. Zack Wheeler gave up four or more innings in three of his last four starts. The offense hit into two double plays and went just 1-8 with runners in scoring position. They need to win in Iowa if they want to keep their playoff dreams alive. Aaron Nola will start the game on Thursday against the Twins.
The game will stream exclusively on Netflix with a first pitch at 7:30 p.m. ET. More than 25 Hall of Famers will be in attendance to watch the action. The Phillies will fly to Minnesota immediately after the game to face the Twins again. They have a short stay in Iowa before the real work begins on Saturday.
