WATCH: Baseball legend Ken Griffey Sr. along with his Hall Of Famer son recreates the iconic Field of Dreams 'catch' scene before MLB's 2nd annual cornfield extravaganza
As expected, the 2022 MLB at Field of Dreams Game was rich with emotion and nostalgia. A masterclass in live sports production with a touch of Hollywood, it was truly a visual spectacle.
Proceedings kicked off on a note too familiar. The Field of Dreams movie ended with Kevin Costner’s Ray Kinsella having a catch with his dad. This year’s Cubs-Reds cornfield spectacle started with Kevin Griffey Jr. and Sr. - MLB’s most iconic father-and-son duo doing the same.
Chills.
Ken Griffey Jr and his dad at the Field of Dreams. https://t.co/5QdPjwiS5P
"Chills. Ken Griffey Jr and his dad at the Field of Dreams." - FOX Sports: MLB
“Hey, Dad, wanna have a catch?” Griffey Jr. asked his father after the pair emerged from the depths of the Dyersville cornfield on Thursday. “I would like that," replied Sr.
They did just that, throwing the ball back and forth to the crowd’s roaring approval. A few kids entered the scene and started playing catch among themselves.
Moments later, several Cubs and Reds Hall of Famers joined the Griffeys. Johnny Bench and Barry Larkin from Cincinnati, and Fergie Jenkins and Ryne Sandberg from Chicago were among them.
Griffey Sr. played nine seasons for the Reds (1973-81). He became a three-time All-Star during that period. His son, on the other hand, went on to become a bonafide superstar.
Like his father, he also donned Cincinnati colors for nine seasons (2000-08). After 630 home runs and 10 Gold Glove Awards, “Junior” was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his very first year of eligibility.
The Griffeys also played together during the 1990-91 season while they were on the Mariners. In doing so, they became the first father-son duo in major league history to play contemporaneously.
Cubs prevail 4-2 in MLB’s throwback extravaganza
Despite the overall spectacle, it was a night to forget for Reds starter Nick Lodolo. Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ scored RBI doubles to put the Cubs up 3-0 after the first inning.
All-Star Ian Happ smashes his 30th double of the season, and his first ever in Dyersville, Iowa to give the Cubs a 3-0 lead. https://t.co/u2tdocsDyZ
Nick Madrigal then singled off Lodolo in the fourth to stretch the lead to 4-0. However, there was life left in the Reds, and it showed when RF Aristides Aquino made an amazing throw to third to end that inning with a double play.
Reds infielder Matt Reynolds drove in two runs in the seventh to pull them back within reach. However, that turned out to be all that Cincinnati’s toothless offense could register.
Spectacle time in the MLB is now over. The series will resume over the weekend at the Great American Ball Park.