Is This Heaven? It’s Iowa the World Baseball Classic: “Field of Dreams” Moments in Global, Domestic, and Internal Marketing

Abstract

Field of Dreams, Phil Alden Robinson's 1989 film based on W. P. Kinsella's novel Shoeless Joe, is steeped in heritage. Baseball's history and traditions ingrained deeply within protagonist's personal history and his relationships with heroes and family members, both living and dead) Themes of culture and national identity, of community, family, and individuality, permeate novel and film.' Field of Dreams is a story of reconnecting with one's past and perhaps even reconstructing an idealized past; it is a story about home. Heritage plays an important role not only in baseball's past, but also in its more recent innovations. Major League Baseball (MLB) commissioner Allan Bud Selig announced plans for a World Baseball Classic (WBC) in 2001; five years later, first WBC was played. MLB'S motivation for creating WBC reflected its goals of marketing MLB brand and baseball's to new audiences. In part, MLB has used WBC to reach diverse, culturally identified audiences inside US by tapping into heritage--baseball tradition and cultural context--as part of a domestic marketing strategy of selling game through events that have potential to attract newer, younger, more diverse audiences.(3) In addition, WBC undergirds MLB's global marketing goals. MLB uses WBC to sell game to fans in other countries and to increase the institutional popularity of sport internationally--essentially creating a new of baseball within countries where potential for establishing a strong institutional baseball infrastructure is as yet unrealized.' These include tier-two countries, such as Netherlands, where organized baseball is established but leagues generally not well developed and relatively few nationals have played for an MLB team, and tier-three countries, such as South Africa, where game is even newer and even less well established.(5) Subsequent analyses of WBC have underscored these marketing objectives.(6) The event has been shown to have engaged different nations' fans emotionally and interactively, in person and virtually; to have increased organized baseball activity in participating countries; and to have strengthened other countries' baseball infrastructure, which includes not only development of leagues and individual players, but also development and management of media and corporate relationships.(7) Analyses typically have focused on effects of WBC (or other major international baseball events) on fans' perceptions.8 Fan engagement includes consumption of culture and cultural identification, facilitated by meanings associated with and derived from family, religion, and tradition--in other words, heritage.(9) Fewer analyses have focused on players' reactions to WBC and their own consumption of cultural heritage. Of special interest heritage players: non-citizens of a given WBC country who, under WBC rules, nonetheless entitled to play for that country alongside country's native-born players. For example, any player with at least one grandparent who held a Spanish passport would be eligible for Spanish citizenship and therefore entitled to play for Team Spain as a player. The few published conversations with players illuminating. Lawrence Baldassaro interviewed players from Team Italy during 2006 WBC.(10) They expressed an appreciation for talents and efforts of native-born players, accompanied by a feeling that playing together increased Italian players' skills and motivation. Heritage players also described their pride in representing Italy. Noted player Mike Piazza appreciated effect his playing for Italy would have on Italian American fans, who are ever searching for next DiMaggio.(11) Heritage players communicated a desire to visit Italy, both to learn more about country and to help to grow game there; indeed, Piazza visited Italy for first time in 2002, as part of mLB's efforts to market game globally, and he spent part of his time there mentoring young Italian players. …