Area fans treasure Field of Dreams game experience

     The Field of Dreams Game was one of the toughest tickets a baseball fan could imagine.

     Only 8,000 fans were allowed in, and of those, only about 2,000 were sold to Iowans through a lottery process.

     Despite those long odds, some Monticello people were able to enter the temporary stadium, near the original Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville, and be part of what turned out to be a moving, spectacular event.

     They watched as the Chicago White Sox stole a 9-8 victory when Tim Anderson hit a two-run, walkoff homer into the corn in the bottom of the ninth inning.

     Brett Benter acquired tickets after his aunt was selected in the ticket lottery. He paid $450 per ticket, and took his 11-year-old son, Blaine, to go cheer on the Yankees.

     Their seats were behind the Yankees dugout, 20 rows up from the field, which was the back row.

     The entire Benter family loves the Yankees, and Blaine has picked that up.

     “Blaine fell in love with Aaron Judge as soon as he was old enough to know who Aaron Judge was,” Brett said. “Watching Judge hit two home runs is the highlight of my kid’s life so far, I think.”

     The Benters arrived at noon, and waited for things to open up. Brett had been in an accident on Highway 30 three days earlier, and had a sore neck, shoulder and back. Because of that, he was able to contact Major League Baseball and secure a handicapped parking spot, which turned into a spot in the executive parking lot, about 20 yards from the main gate.

     Once they entered, Brett said, “We headed straight to the merchandise trailer, because we knew that was going to get busy and probably be sold out.”

     In the stadium, they watched both teams take batting practice, saw Field of Dreams actor Kevin Costner walk out from the corn, and watched the players from both teams do the same.

     “That was awesome,” Brett said. “Seeing Kevin Costner on the field was pretty cool.”

     They enjoyed the game as well.

     “Even though the score wasn’t in our favor, it was an incredible experience,” Brett said. “Incredible is an understatement of what it was like being there.”

     Trevor Martensen of Monticello, a retired Jones County Sheriff’s deputy, worked security for the events leading up to the game, and through the game itself.

     His law enforcement experience gives him a connection to an agency that provides security for big events.

     So he had first-hand access to celebrities involved in the game. He drove actor Kevin Costner to his pre-game interview. He met FOX Sports play-by-play announcer Joe Buck at the Julien Hotel in Dubuque, where the celebrities stayed. He shook hands and chatted with former White Sox star Frank “Big Hurt” Thomas, was assigned to Alex Rodriguez as the former Yankee slugger held a clinic and helped broadcast a little league game, and provided transportation and security for FOX executives, including Fox Sports Chief Operating Officer John Nallen and his wife Patricia.

     “There were six of us assigned to protection detail through Fox Sports,” Martensen said. “And our main function was providing security protection for the celebrities coming in, as well as Fox executives.

     “It was just very interesting and exciting to be working with these individuals, and talking with them.”

     Martensen made sure, however, that he focused on his duties.

     “It’s pretty awesome being associated with this, but at the end of the day, they’re just people,” he said. “We had a job to do, and you just do it.”

     One of the joys for Martensen was hearing the celebrities, most of whom are from large cities, talk about what they saw in Iowa.

     “A lot of them were commenting on how beautiful this place was, so that’s pretty cool,” Martensen said. “They thought it was pretty awesome, pretty spectacular.”

     Mike Holmes and his son Robby, both die-hard Yankee fans, weren’t planning to go to the game. Instead, their plan was simply to go to Dyersville the night before the game and hang out with other Yankee fans.

     “On Wednesday morning my wife (Sue) told me that maybe Robby and I should cancel our plans for that evening,” Mike said. “When I questioned her about it, she said, ‘Well, you guys are going to the game.’ I don’t know how she got (the tickets) or where. It’s the best gift I’ve ever received in my life.”

     It gave the the chance to experience the event in person.

     “Even though the Yankees lost. It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever experienced,” Holmes said. “From the long line of traffic to walking through the cornfield to get to the stadium. Watching the home runs land in the cornfield. And one of the most amazing finishes to a game you’ll ever see.

     “The atmosphere was just electric and the stadium was absolutely beautiful under the lights. As we were walking out of the stadium, there was a father and a son playing catch under the lights on the original Field of Dreams. We couldn’t have asked for a better ending to our night.”