Kevin Costner Reveals Ray Liotta Actually Took Batting Practice On The Field Of Dreams

Field of Dreams is a sentimental gem that celebrates baseball’s ability to transcend barriers and bring people together. But, as it turns out, the game’s most iconic scene of Ray Liotta taking batting practice in an empty cornfield was actually filmed at close quarters in nearby Dyersville, Iowa.

Kevin Costner Reveals Ray Liotta’s Field Of Dreams Batting Practice Was Fully Real

It’s been nearly three decades since the release of Field of Dreams, and Kevin Costner is still fielding questions about the classic film.

In a recent interview with The Athletic, Costner was asked about a scene in which his character. Ray Kinsella, has a catch with his deceased father in the cornfields outside of Dyersville, Iowa.

While the scene was filmed on a soundstage in Burbank, California, Costner revealed that the batting practice that Ray Liotta’s character, Shoeless Joe Jackson, takes before the game was actually real.

“We brought in a guy to throw batting practice,” Costner said. “I called Ray [Liotta] up and I said, ‘Look, this is kind of important to me that we get this right.’ He came out and he took batting practice and he just crushed the ball.”

Costner also revealed that he initially wanted Jackson to play for the Chicago White Sox in the film, but Major League Baseball would not allow it because they did not want to be associated with gambling.

How Kevin Costner Revealed Ray Liotta’s Field of Dreams Batting Practice was Fully Real

In the classic film Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner’s character builds a baseball diamond in his cornfield. One of the film’s most iconic scenes is when Ray Liotta’s character, Shoeless Joe Jackson, steps out of the corn and steps up to the plate to take some batting practice.

For years, fans have wondered if this scene was real or staged. In a recent interview, Kevin Costner revealed that it was indeed real. The actor said that they had set up a real baseball diamond on the farm. Where they were shooting and invited Ray Liotta to come out and take some swings.

Costner said that he and director Phil Alden Robinson had been discussing how to shoot the scene and decided that it would be more impactful if it were real. They didn’t tell Liotta ahead of time that he would be hitting real pitches. Which made for a very genuine reaction when he saw the ball coming at him.

It’s always nice to see behind-the-scenes stories like this that reveal just how much effort went into making a classic film. It’s clear that Kevin Costner and Ray Liotta both gave everything. They had to their performances in Field of Dreams and it truly paid off.

How Ray Liotta’s Field Of Dreams Batting Practice was Fully Real

In the movie Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner’s character builds a baseball diamond in his cornfield. He then proceeds to invite some of the all-time greats to come and play ball on it. While this may seem like Hollywood magic, it turns out that the batting practice scene with Ray Liotta was actually fully real!

According to Costner, they built a batting cage and brought in a pitching machine. Liotta was then able to take some real swings at some real pitches. The only thing that was fake about the whole thing was the crowd noise – which was added in during post-production.

So there you have it – one of the most iconic scenes from Field of Dreams was actually completely real! Who would have thought?

Conclusion

This story from Kevin Costner about the filming of Field of Dreams is a great example of how sometimes the simplest things can be the most memorable. It’s also a reminder that even though we might not always get what we want if we’re willing to put in the work and have a little patience, good things can happen. Did this story make you want to watch Field of Dreams again? Let us know in the comments below!