The Reds and the Cubs are set to participate in MLB’s second Field of Dreams Game on Thursday in Dyersville, Iowa.
Perhaps no one is looking forward to the game more than Joey Votto.
Votto, the Reds’ longtime first baseman, said Wednesday on Twitter that playing in the game was a special event in his career. He outlined exactly why, saying that he had a connection to the film dating to his younger years.
“I was raised on this movie,” Votto wrote. “My family had a collection of VHS tapes and one of them was ‘Field of Dreams.’ I would watch it often.”
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Votto further explained that the movie’s theme of father-son bonding is particularly meaningful to him. Why? Because Kevin Costner’s character, Ray, and his father bonded by playing catch. That’s something Votto and his father did, too.
From 8 or 9 years old, my father and I would play catch together. In retrospect, to me, it was the most important thing we did together. It strengthened our bond. In Field of Dreams, the movie ends with the main character, Ray, and the ghost of his father having ‘a catch.’
My father passed away 14+ years ago. So it is impossible for me not to feel an emotional connection to the moment where Ray asks his father for a catch. One more moment together.
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In some ways, the game represents a full-circle moment for Votto. The 38-year-old has enjoyed a 16-year MLB career to date; now, he gets to go to a place that holds a lot of meaning for him.
“Getting the opportunity to play a game at the mythical field that sowed the seeds of hope for a Major League Baseball career is a significant moment for me,” Votto said. “Couple that with the father/son connection, and this game is an exceptional moment in my life.”
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