The movie “Field of Dreams” depicts deceased baseball greats returning to the bright lights of a ballpark surrounded by an Iowa cornfield. Thursday’s 2022 MLB Field of Dreams Game between the Cubs and Reds featured something similar, though Twitter seemed to have found the execution to be a bit less tasteful.
A hologram of the legendary Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch, bringing the crowd – including Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz – to its feet. Here’s a look:
While fans at the ballpark seemed to rejoice in the rendition Caray’s hologram delivered, the reception online was decidedly different. Here are some of the most notable reactions:
Caray died in 1998 after an MLB broadcasting career of over 50 years. He spent his final 16 seasons with the Cubs, but also called games for the St. Louis Cardinals and Browns, Oakland Athletics and the Chicago White Sox.
His high-energy, flamboyant broadcasting style was unique and treasured among MLB fans, and Fox’s broadcast hoped to recreate it for the uninitiated.
“This is about paying tribute to what makes baseball iconic,” Fox Sports executive producer Brad Zager said. “We hope this moment allows parents to tell their children about what it was like to watch Harry Caray, or what it was like to listen to Harry Caray, lead the singing of the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field, so the next generation can understand and appreciate how much it meant.”
Unfortunately, it seems many of the next generation collected memes out of the moment rather than memories.
