MLB and Iowa: The Love/Hate Relationship

 Last night Major League Baseball staged a game a the Field of Dreams, located in Dyersville, Iowa.  The field is the original field used in the filming of the movie, "Field of Dreams", starring Kevin Costner.  The was slightly modified (an actual fence was installed to prevent Aaron Judge from crossing over accidently), but the spirit was there.

Well, the spirit and $1000 for a ticket.  With limited seating, the ticket was hot.  MLB set up a lottery system for White Sox fans and Iowa residents, but most Iowans had to watch it as Moonlight Graham wanted, on TV between a bunch of commercials.

I may sound bitter. I understand the economics of it all, but knowing the history of MLB and Iowa it is OK to be a little jaded.  After all, this is the first game that MLB has let Iowa watch in a while.

To those MLB fans, the best way to watch MLB games at home is through MLB.tv.  You can watch your team live or later if your schedule demands.  However, in order to protect the local markets, MLB will blackout games on MLB so you have to get cable or whatever.  Here in Dayton, Ohio, MLB blacks out the Cincinnati Reds games, but if I really wanted to see them I could add Fox Sports Ohio, (or is Bally now?) usually through a cable package.

Seems reasonable.  However, MLB has let teams define their markets, and boy do MLB teams love Iowa.  I mean who doesn't!  But if you were a MLB.tv subscriber in Iowa, you would not get the Twins, Brewers, White Sox, Cubs, Cardinals and Royals. On any given night, up to 40% of the games could be blacked out.  I can assure you that no cable package in Iowa covers all those teams.  Growing up in Iowa, I would get the Cubs on WGN and White Sox occasionally on WGN.  That was it.  

Rob Manfred has said this is a top priority.  We'll see.  Hopefully we see everyone back in Iowa again next year!