“Is this Heaven?” “No, it’s Iowa.” The classic line from the movie Field of Dreams depicts the baseball field that Ray Kinsella built amongst the cornfields in the middle of nowhere after hearing voices persuading him, “If you build it, they will come.” Although this is a fictional movie that every baseball fan enjoys, in a way it resembles the College World Series played every year in Omaha, Nebraska. Eleven years ago, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel to Omaha to watch the College World Series and I would like to take a trip down memory lane, as best as I can, to say that every baseball fan should make that trip at least once in their lifetime.

Near the end of the movie when all the old baseball players walk out of the cornfields to play a friendly pickup game of baseball on Kinsella’s field, that’s about as close as you can get to the purest form of baseball. The players just form into teams, grab a position, and begin playing the game they all love. The few fans sitting on the bleachers are just watching the action unfold while soaking in the simplicity of the beautiful game they love. To me, being at the 2008 College World Series was very similar to this because it too, was simple. You showed up, watched good baseball played out all day long, and left. Then, you did the exact same thing the next day.

The atmosphere at the College World Series, even in the city of Omaha itself, was the best part about my experience, and that was because of its simple nature like I’ve just mentioned. It was ALL ABOUT baseball. Every fan in attendance had one goal: enjoy good baseball. There were fans from all around the country. Some were there to watch their team play, but most were fans of other teams not even present. They just loved the sport of baseball. And that really rubbed off on everyone there and helped create one of the best atmospheres you can find at a baseball game. A good play would occur in the game and fans from different teams would relish it all together. Someone would hit a big home run and the fans would act as if it was their team that hit it. It was almost as if all the fans had been friends for a long time. No matter how different some of the fans may have been, we all loved baseball and that’s the only thing that mattered.

The wonderful atmosphere extended outside of the stadium as well. Getting there early before any of the games began, fans had their grills going, music playing, and put their cornhole boards to good use. We were offered food from several of the fans grilling in the parking lot because, like I said, it felt as if we had all been friends for a long time, even though we didn’t know each other. I remember specifically the LSU tailgaters cooking up some of their Cajun food. There were also plenty of things to do outside the stadium. Lined up all the way down the street were tents and canopies with games, contests, food, etc. There were even batting cages where anyone could grab a bat and start hitting. Everything outside the stadium felt like a big party or festival, and lasted all day long.

For fans that are interested in meeting players/coaches and talking or getting autographs, it was very easy to do that. The team buses parked just outside the stadium (this is the old Rosenblatt Stadium) and you could catch them getting off or onto the bus. I remember talking to some of the UNC and LSU guys. We talked to Kyle Seager, who played for the Tar Heels, and discussed playing against him in high school. It was really neat to have that kind of accessibility to the teams.

Just like the infamous Field of Dreams, the field in Omaha was meant for one thing: for baseball. Anyone attending the games can be guaranteed good baseball will be played and to have a great time. A lot of times we attend games and have so much invested in it because we want our team to win so badly that I think we miss out on some of the experience of watching a baseball game. To true baseball fans, it’s more than just a game. There’s so many “games within the game” that almost makes it more of an art form. It’s so embedded in the fabric of this country and it’s the favorite pastime for a reason. It’s such a beautiful game and when you are in a setting that makes it as simple as possible, you can thoroughly enjoy its beauty. That’s exactly what watching College World Series games in Omaha allows you to do.

Garett

Why Every Baseball Fan Should Go to the College World Series At Least Once