Illinois home to its own ‘Field of Dreams’ in Putnam County

DANIEL GRANT
FarmWeek

The prolonged-lasting Area of Goals, a farm Turned a baseball field for the basic American sports activities fantasy film launched in 1989, stays A critical vacationer vacation spot in Dyersville, Iowa.

And The state of affairs returned to the nationwide spotlight when Primary League Baseball hosted a recreation between the Chicago White Sox and Ny Yankees on Aug. 12 at an 8,000-seat facility, mannequined after the White Sox’s former house (Comiskey Park), adjoining to The distinctive field used Inside the film. 

Anfullly different MLB recreation Shall be held there subsequent yr As a Outcome of the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds are scheduled to play On The sector of Goals on Aug. 11, 2022.

However, Do You understand there’s an Illinois Dream Area, acknowledged by the official Area of Goals film website, located about 175 miles southeast of Dyersville shut to the Putnam County group of Granville, Solely a stone’s throw from Interstate 80 aprolongedside the Illinois River?

The inspiration for that field is all A few farmer’s ardour for baseball and assist of group events he handed Proper dpersonal to his househprevious that finally led to The enhancement of the Illinois Dream Area.

The Illinois website hosted fundraising events from 2014 to 2017 that featured actors who appeared as “ghost recreationrs” on The distinctive “Area of Goals” film, which was an adaptation of W.P. Kinsella’s 1982 novel “Shoeless Joe.”

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The exact-life mannequin of the field in Illinois was a dream come true for Darrell Alleman, who shared his love for baseball Collectively with his Extremeschool sweetheart, Jeanne. The two married, operated a crop and livestock farm and enhanced a househprevious in shut toby Magnolia.

“It started when he (Darrell) was youthful,” said his daughter, Deb Kimme. “He On A daily basis liked The sport of baseball, but didn’t have A lot of alternatives to play rising up on the farm.”

So, Darrell beacquired here the ratingkeeper for his group in Extremeschool and went on To tevery Little League and served as president of the Bi-County League for about 20 yrs.

He was president of the Connie Mack summer time league. He additionally served In lots of capacities in assist of Putnam County Extreme Faculty baseball, the place his sons, Scott and Kim, starred And every performed on state event groups.

“He was very involved in all elements,” Scott said.

“Our group exactly benefited from dad’s love of baseball and his organizational expertise,” Deb said. “He On A daily basis thought greater. Do You’d like to can have one recreation, Then you undoubtedly can have 10 video recreations.”

By way of the yrs, Alleman collected gear and parts of amenities used at baseball fields Inside the county, together with an previous concession stand and foul poles from The highschool field.

“When dad was Little League president, they acquired A mannequin new backcease, so the previous backcease acquired here to our house and was saved behind a barn because he On A daily basis needed To assemble his personal field,” Deb said.

Deb, Scott, Kim and their sister, Jan Probability, then gave their father an official set of baseball bases as A current.

And when Darrell and Jeanne moved to their Granville farm, the dream lastly beacquired here actuality As quickly as they started enhancement on the field in 2009.

“He simply had an idea in his head and it simply grew,” Scott said of his father. “He simply made it happen.”

The Allemans assembleed the baseball field Near their house So as that they might sit on the porch and watch video recreations. The main recreation was held there on Father’s Day 2010.

However there was extra to the story through a Coincidence all through Definitely one of many Allemans’ go tos to The sector of Goals website in Iowa.

“They have been simply sitting there on the bleveryers and struck up a dialog with Frank Dardis. He was Definitely one of many unique ghost recreationrs Inside the film,” Deb said. “They struck up an immediate frifinishship and bond over baseball. 

Upon returning to the farm, Alleman was impressed to host his personal Dream Area recreation. He planted corn and invited Dardis To go to as a ghost participant.

“He thought one ghost participant was going To return, but to mom And pop’s shock, Frank confirmed up with seven fullly different ghost recreationrs,” Deb said. “They might go round and do events and fundenhancers.”

The Allemans, through Granville Rotary, went on to host groupwide baseball fundraising events, full with a displaying of the “Area of Goals” film, from 2014 to 2017.

“They launched dad with a uniform in 2015 and he beacquired here an honorary ghost participant,” Deb said.

“That wAs a Outcome of the first time he ever acquired to put on a baseball uniform. He was very Joyful with that.”

Jeanne Alleman handed away in 2015 and Darrell handed A pair of yrs later in 2018.

The field stays in place right now and nonetheless performs host to some apply video recreations. Scott’s previousest son, Doug, purchased the property.

“We’re exactly happy it’s nonetheless round for individuals To make the most of and have a catch,” Deb added in reference to a well-knpersonal line from the film, An factor of which was shot in shut toby Galena to create an historic flashback scene recurrenting Moonlight Graham’s Chisholm, Minnesota.

This story was distributed through a cooperative enterprise between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Affiliation. For extra meals and farming information, go to FarmWeekNow.com.

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