August 29 at Dyersville, Iowa

Apple Jacks create memories at Field of Dreams

Some people have their dad’s blue eyes or his chin or a similar stubborn streak. But some of us inherit our dad’s love of baseball. That legacy can be an unexpected gift, as revealed in the plot of the 1989 film Field of Dreams.

In Dyersville, Iowa, where the movie was shot, the pristine baseball diamond amid an expanse of corn fields offers visitors that same discovery: to reconnect with the game of their youth, to cherish their family, and to find enthusiasm in life. For 62 base ball players, including the Apple Jacks Base Ball Club of La Crescent, the location provided more awe and enthusiasm than a child’s Christmas morning.

Over 100 spectators cheered as the Apple Jacks hosted an exhibition of 1860s base ball at the famous field. Players from six different Midwest teams emerged from the cornfield at 6 o’clock and then completed 5 timed games, before shouting the last “hip-hip-hurrah” under a dark sky and silver crescent moon.

In the movie, the character Archie “Moonlight” Graham wanted a shot at big league play and wondered if there was “enough magic out there in the moonlight to make this dream come true.” For the Apple Jacks and their contemporaries, the enthusiasm, if not the magic, was palpable Saturday night because Bill “Ho-hum” Ohm (pictured at right), the Jacks’ captain, arranged a playing schedule that scattered players into five different teams, rinsing the rivalry from the night like a hard rain.

Because of this arrangement, the character of the game was grand and yet simple, devoid of the film’s sentimentality. Players executed with precision and a chance to show respect, if not reverence, for the game. There were plenty of light moments too, as players scoured the corn to find a well struck ball, and Tyler “Squirt” Ahl earned his nickname as he sped back and forth between second and third to successfully avoid a tag.

The family relationships—especially fathers, sons, and brothers— also took on more significance for the Apple Jacks: Gary “Big Weas” Pericak and son Jason “Weasel” Pericak; Dan “Skunk” Deetz and son Benjamin “George” Deetz; Paul “Swiss” Geronime and son Kevin “Mover” Geronime; and Paul’s nephew “Squirt,” his brother Steve “Whitey” Geronime, and Steve’s brother-in-law John “Rook” Wilkie. “Ho-hum” was joined by his brother John “Cactus Jack” Ohm, while Joel “Hefty” Affeldt’s (at bat, right) two young sons helped set up the field.

Jim “Red” Johnson, who sons couldn’t make the trip, soaked up every moment. Jim “Scoop” Schupbach was in his element at first base, and Scott “Sails” Pechacek showed his prowess at bat and in the field. All of the players were cheered on by family members and friends plus a group of spectators who arrived from La Crescent on a bus sponsored by Merchants Bank.

Lady Joan Ohm kept a record of the commotion; when he wasn’t umpiring games, Prince Peter Petersilie conversed with fans and dignitaries, including the mayor of Dyersville (right) and the owner of the movie site.

“Moonlight” Graham said that “we just don’t recognize life’s most significant moments while they’re happening.” That was definitely not the case at the Field of Dreams, where life and base ball felt as one.

--Mary McLaughlin

Apple Jacks Manager

Thanks to Steve Mau of La Crescent for these photographs.