Written by Major League Baseball did something pretty cool earlier this month. They held a regular-season game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees in Dyersville, Iowa, at the site of the movie set of Field of Dreams.
The game seemed like a stunt to draw interest to an otherwise meaningless August contest and draw ratings in a slow period for sports. But, instead, it was awesome. Both because of the setting and the game itself. It highlighted the contrast between “old school” and “new school” baseball.
MLB constructed a new field across the cornfield from the one used in the movie set. It was gorgeous, with a manual scoreboard and plenty of cornstalks within view. Players entered the game from the cornfield and greeted Kevin Costner.
It brought to mind James Earl Jones’s voice as Terence Mann gave his speech to Ray Kinsella in the movie as he tried to decide whether to sign away his farm. “This field, this game: it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again.”
The game itself was pure 2021—plenty of strikeouts and home runs. The Yankees came from behind to take the lead, but Tim Anderson walked it off for the White Sox with the final shot into the corn. Anderson was born four years after Field of Dreams was released. He has a swagger that qualifies as “new school.” He brings energy to the game and makes everyone enjoy being at the ballpark.
This clash of generations is part of what makes baseball interesting. Tony LaRussa came out of retirement to manage the White Sox, a talented but young team. He is “old school.” Players have expectations with roles to fill. There are rules to follow. This week, after backup catcher Seby Zavala called a 3-0 fastball with first base open to Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerro, Jr., LaRussa was visibly livid. You don’t see managers showing up players in public much these days.
For the most part, I view an environment that allows this healthy clash as a good thing. Long-term success requires a healthy balance of opposing perspectives. LaRussa’s ability to humble a brash young team like the White Sox makes sense, even if he creates a few “OK, Boomer!” moments.
Like LaRussa, Dusty Baker is another “old school” manager. But Dusty is cool. His wrist bands and his signature toothpick make you feel like you are around greatness. Though Baker is much more of a players’ coach than LaRussa, he manages the team as if it were from a bygone era.
It’s been frustrating for me to watch Dusty Baker manage the Astros this summer. He manages the game with his instincts, which have always been somewhat questionable, especially his decisions with the pitching staff. Every night, you find yourself scratching your head as Dusty pulls a starter early or keeps one in too long. He ignores todays’ rules like the three-batter minimum, refusing to resist the urge to bring in a mediocre lefty reliever like Brooks Raley or Blake Taylor to face a left-handed batter for a good matchup while ignoring the poor matchup against a right-handed batter. It’s even more frustrating when he gets it right.
Astros general manager James Click is “new school.” You would think that he would be pulling out what’s left of his hair each night, watching as Dusty refuses to use the new relievers he traded prospects for at the trade deadline but instead trot out the tired arms they were supposed to replace.
Dusty prefers to be comfortable with someone before putting them into a high-leverage situation. Numbers don’t give him comfort. He needs to see them perform, even if they don’t perform very well. He views a team as a collection of various roles. Players need to fulfill the requirements of their assigned role. He is accountable, and he holds his players responsible but takes the heat when they fail.
“New school” managers use data to analyze the available individuals to optimize the team they put out on the field. They value statistics over their instinct and track record over assigned responsibilities. Hunches get ignored.
Click came to the Astros under unique circumstances, replacing Jeff Lunhow. Astros owner Jim Crane fired Lunhow and manager A.J. Hinch after MLB’s released its report related to the team’s sign-stealing scheme. Crane had hired Baker before Click arrived, so Click wasn’t allowed the luxury of hiring his staff. His first move was to get to know the people there and how to utilize them in his organization best.
At least publicly, Click doesn’t get aggravated with Dusty’s quirky decisions. Instead, Click values a different perspective and views it as an opportunity to learn. They collaborate on strategic decisions together rather than sending edicts down from the corner office.
Too much “old school” makes the team look like a relic of the past. However, too much “new school” leaves it vulnerable to mistakes. The Astros are a prime example of this. Their win-at-all-cost culture driven from the top of the organization made them vulnerable. Now they have balance.
The Astros and White Sox are the two favorites in the American League. In October, we’ll see if they can use this formula to overcome the defending champion Dodgers, heavy favorites in the National League. The Dodgers are “new school” from the top of their organization to the bottom, supporting that with a seemingly unlimited budget. It should be a good show.
But now, we need to get through August. Watching the Field of Dreams game was a great diversion from the agony of watching my team nurture their division lead while losing game after game to the Twins and the Royals. This extraordinary spectacle on a beautiful night reminded us how the game supersedes “old school” and “new school” and teaches us a helpful lesson. Past, present, and future all work together.
As Terence says, “The one constant throughout the years, Ray, has been baseball.”