DYERSVILLE, Iowa (AP) — Kyle Schwarber grew up in Middletown, Ohio, played college ball at Indiana and spent his first six major league seasons with the Chicago Cubs.
The 33-year-old Philadelphia Phillies slugger added another thoroughly Midwestern highlight to his well-decorated career Thursday night, hitting two home runs into an Iowa cornfield.
Schwarber led off the Field of Dreams game with a homer and then connected for a two-run shot in the fourth inning to spark the Phillies in a 7-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
“We all watched the movie as kids, so it was really cool to be able to see exactly where it was and just kind of the full ceremony of it, too,” said Schwarber, who leads the major leagues with 37 home runs. “Just an unbelievable experience.”
After helping the Cubs win the World Series in 2016, making the postseason 10 times in his first 11 years and being selected to four All-Star teams, Schwarber has been building quite the resume. With 377 career home runs and counting, perhaps he'll one day join the club in Cooperstown like the 26 members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame who took part in the pregame pomp at the newly constructed ballpark.
For now, Schwarber has an unforgettable night to share with his family forever. His two children are too young to watch or understand the movie now, but he can't wait to watch the 1989 film with them down the road.
“You might not ever get to play another big league baseball game here, so to be able to have that experience, it’s a unique thing for you and it’s something you’re going to bring up to your kids,” Schwarber said. “We’re going to watch that movie together with my kids one day and be able to say, ‘Hey, dad got to play there,’ or, ‘See that house in this movie? I got to see it.’ So it’ll be really cool.”
Twins right fielder Luke Keaschall, who homered in the loss, nearly caught Schwarber's second home run above the wall, but the ball glanced off his glove and into the dark green sea of corn.
“It was up there a while. In a perfect world, I think I should catch it,” Keaschall said. “I didn’t today.”
The Phillies moved a half-game ahead of idle Arizona into the third and final wild-card spot for the NL playoffs. So Schwarber's big swings meant more than just a page in his personal memory book.
“To have a good season a lot of guys have to have good years, but the aircraft carriers have still got to carry you,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said. “That just takes pressure off of everyone.”
Having entered the night just 10-15 since the All-Star break, the Phillies needed a bit of a jolt like the magic of the movie site and game location can produce — and their star designated hitter can provide.
“I feel like some people could take that for granted because he’s done it so many times, but we definitely don’t,” Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola said. “There’s no moment ever too big for him.”
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