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Friday, March.02/2012

If you build

it……………….

They will come!!

Douglas ‘Chuck’ Booth (Baseball Writer)- If you are a baseball fan, chances are you have seen one of the best baseball movies all time in “Field Of Dreams”. From sitting on the same benches of Kevin Costner, to viewing the Field that happens to have been built after plowing down a corn field, this place is a perfect day trip for the avid baseball fan! One story I heard was so good I am passing it on to you.

A group of baseball players that played ‘extras in the field’ during the filming of the movie continued to play a regular Sunday night game after the picture went to Hollywood.  Tourists liked this idea so much that they asked the Land Owners if they could have the players play every year.

The following year, and unbeknownst to a 300 passenger bus of Japanese Tourists (in the middle of the night mind you), the group of ball players walked through the cornfields and reached the grass in the outfield as the tourists gasped with nervous energy.  The tour guide never told this group that these players were to arrive.  The Japanese tourists cheered feverishly as the players took the field and played.

 The Japanese tourists were so impressed with the caliber of play (and for what these ball players had done for them), that they hired these two teams to travel all throughout the Japan year-round and play exhibition style games.  All of the extras (who all had played semi-pro in some fashion) had a great career now.  Even to this day, there is a new generation of men playing with the old style “Sox” jerseys.

QUICK TIPS:

Fly into Milwaukee via Air Tran on any flight you can find from the best Airline in America.  Try to tie it in with the Chicago teams, Milwaukee, St. Louis or Minnesota on a baseball vacation.  Luckily for you, Milwaukee is one of the cheaper cities to rent a car, and/or pay for lodging. Use Priceline (www.priceline.com) to bid on your hotel rooms-and you will be amazed at what price you will only have to pay.

To drive to the Field of Dreams Movie Site will take you about 4 hours from the Milwaukee International Airport.  The park is still as beautiful as it was when the movie was a hit nearly a quarter-century ago.  This amazing landmark must be on a baseball fan’s bucket list.  Not only is it a fantastic attraction- but there is no cover charge to see the Field!

Those who visit are welcome to bring bats, balls and gloves to break out in a pick-up game.  Visitors from all over will just come and do the same.  Be sure to buy something from the gift shop on your way out as that is how the kind landowners are able to keep up the maintenance of this truly amazing ballpark in Iowa.

*******There is a Best Western in Dodgeville,  which is a 90 minute drive North East from this movie site-where you can stay for under $100 a night.  Dodgeville does have a Walmart and is one of the nicest heritage towns in America.

So be like James Earl Jones & Kevin Costner and GO THE DISTANCE!!!!

*** Thank you to our Baseball Writer– Douglas “Chuck” Booth for preparing today’s feature on MLB reports.  To learn more about “The Fastest 30 Ballgames” and Chuck Booth, you can follow Chuck on Twitter (@ChuckBooth3024) and click here for Chuck’s website, fastestthirtyballgames.com***

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