The MLB at Field of Dreams Game is back for its second annual edition later this week, and once again, the participating teams will be wearing throwback uniforms from the early 20th century.
Following the success of last season’s inaugural game held in the cornfields of Iowa between the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees, this year we’ll see two early National League teams — the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds.
Here are the uniforms for the 2022 MLB at Field of Dreams game between the Reds and Cubs:
Yes, white versus cream, and you may think such a pairing is unusual, but for those of us of a certain… vintage… It reminds us of what we saw during every Houston Astros road game for about ten years back in the 1980s and ’90s.
Let’s look at each team’s uniform, starting with the Reds.
The Reds will wear a white cap and jersey with royal blue pinstripes. On their cap is a Tuscan-style “C” in red with a red band between the crown and visor. Jerseys feature a red wishbone-C logo trimmed in blue with “REDS” inside. This is based on the uniforms worn by the Reds between 1914 and 1920, including their World Championship season in 1919.
SHOP: Cincinnati Reds Field of Dreams Game caps and jerseys available here
The Reds will also wear a batting helmet which will match the design of their ballcaps — all white with blue pinstripes, a red horizontal band right at the visor, and the red “C” logo on the crown. Of interesting note to uniform fans, the pinstripes *will* extend onto the extended flaps and additional protective pieces some players add to their helmets.
Three Baseball Hall of Famers wore this uniform during its original run; there’s outfielder Edd Roush who did so for about 500 games, and then two others who BOTH only wore it for a single game. Long-time New York Giants pitcher Christy Mathewson ended his career with one game for the 1916 Reds, and pitcher Jesse Haines did the opposite, starting his career with one game with the Reds in 1918 before heading to St. Louis for the next 20 years.
Moving on to the Chicago Cubs, who are combining two different eras for their uniform.
The Chicago Cubs are wearing navy blue caps inspired by what the club wore during the 1914 season — a white bear with a baseball bat tucked in underneath its arm. This logo was revived by the Cubs in 1927 and moved to the front of their jersey, placed within a red wishbone “C,” where it remained for ten seasons until 1936. The Cubs are wearing that same 1927-36 cream-coloured jersey with the 1914 navy blue cap for the 2022 Field of Dreams Game.
SHOP: Chicago Cubs Field of Dreams Game caps and jerseys available here
Just like the Reds, the Chicago Cubs will wear a matching batting helmet with their Field of Dreams Game uniform. Navy blue helmet with the blue and white bear holding a baseball bat logo on the front.
The Chicago Cubs won the National League pennant three times in the ten seasons they originally wore this uniform, losing in five to the Philadelphia Athletics in 1929, losing in four to the Yankees in 1932 (the same series in which Babe Ruth allegedly “Called His Shot”), and losing in six to the Detroit Tigers in 1935. Eleven Hall of Famers either wore the navy blue cap from 1914 or the cream jerseys from 1927-36, including single-season RBI king Hack Wilson and second baseman Rogers Hornsby.
The 2022 MLB at Field of Dreams Game will be held in the cornfields at the filming location for the 1980s movie Field of Dreams on Thursday, August 11, between the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs. The Reds will be the designated home team for the game.