July 16, 2025
Columns

Observations from the Field of Dreams

Mary Kay Rue (from left, front row), her two granddaughters and their friend stand with ghost players (from left, back row) Marv Maiers, Frank Dardis, Jumping Joe Scherrman and Hank Lucas. Rue won the 50/50 drawing at the Field of Dreams event Sept. 11.

I want to thank all the great people who came last Friday evening to the Alleman Field of Dreams. It’s really true: If you build it, they will come. I also want to thank my Putnam County Rotary Club for helping host the Field of Dreams night.

Thank you to the following people: Scott Shore for his input in getting the Sunset Cinema to show the movie, “Field of Dreams,” and to Carrie Brown for her donation; Bobby and Darlene Cofoid and the Dysart-Cofoid Funeral Home for making the free popcorn for everyone who attended; Darlene printed the nice colored programs that Scott Shore put together; Dave Shaw from Oak Park Estates for providing parking; Randy Steffens for donating his golf cart and time for giving people rides; Dixie, my long-time friend from the Graphic Electronics in Spring Valley for the beautiful plaques for the ghost players; my daughter-in-law, Dianne, for sending and receiving emails from my friend, Frank Dardis, the ghost player from Peosta, Iowa; Rotarian and Jeanne’s second-grade student who she loved, Justina Boggio Chlum, and her husband, Kevin Chlum, for the 50/50 tickets; and Mary Kay Rue for buying 50/50 tickets and winning it, and thanks to her for bringing her two granddaughters.

I would also like to thank Betty and Lisa Johnson for passing out the programs; Mike and Anna O’Sullivan from the Hidden Paradise Sign Shop; Putnam County High School ag teacher John Heider for bringing his FFA students who cooked pork chops and hot dogs; Brett Carlson for his help drying out the field; Bobby Cofoid for the flood lights; my two sons, Kim and Scott, for raking and preparing the diamond; Jennifer Spratt for her nice article; Shannon Serpette for her great article in the Putnam County Record titled, “The place where dreams come true,”; the ghost players, Keith Rahe, founder of the ghost players, Marv Maiers, team manager and starting catcher, Hank Lucas, movie ghost and former pitcher for the Dodgers, Mike Ehlers, Mike Schuster and Charlie Huberty, all Granville returnees, Jumping Joe Scherrman, Granville rookie and ghost head event, and Frank Dardis, movie ghost and as he said a huge fan of Granville. Words cannot thank these great, nice ball players enough. They come here free, they will not take money because they say they come to entertain the children of our communities.

I’d also like to thank Beth Dardis, Frank’s lovely wife, who Jeanne became close friends with immediately when they met. Beth sold memorabilia from the Field of Dreams in Dyersville.

Thursday, the afternoon of Sept. 10, I stood at the door of my Morton shed watching the rain on the Field of Dreams, finally water puddles showed up on the infield. I thought, “How can we play tomorrow on this field?” Friday morning, I went out early, shoveled the water out of the large puddles. At 10 a.m., I lightly scratched the infield, again at 12, later my sons’ kept raking it. It was ready at 5:30 p.m. People started coming at 5 p.m.

The ghost players came out of the corn field. They were introduced. Ghost player Keith Rahe told the crowd that this place is the real America, and that he could tell that the people in this community love their children. Frank Dardis presented me with a gift for Jeanne, a Field of Dreams baseball shirt for her remembrance. Randy Borio asked for a moment of silence for Jeanne. The ghost players picked 12 children out of the crowd. Frank Dardis picked my 5-year-old great grandson, Logan Kimme, from Sugar Grove, not knowing he was mine. What a coincidence. They had each child bat as they played their bag of tricks on them as the crowd watched and laughed. The ghost players then posed for photos and did autographs for everyone who asked. Then a large crowd of firefighters, EMTs and police officers walked on the field and stood at attention in front of the movie screen to applause from the crowd. There was a moment of silence. The screen showed the U.S. flag waving while the Star-Spangled Banner played, honoring the hundreds of firefighters, EMTs and police officers who died in the collapse of New York’s World Trade Center twin towers 14 years ago on Sept. 11, 2001.

The movie, “Field of Dreams,” was shown to a pretty large crowd despite the cool evening. During the movie, I was standing by my grandson, Kyle Kimme, while watching it, and he said to me, “Poppa D., this is really awesome, watching the ‘Field of Dreams’ movie on the Field of Dreams.” Thanks again to the great people who put the evening on and the great people who attended, including a couple from the UK. I love you all in a special way!

Darrell Alleman can be reached at news@putnamcountyrecord.com.