The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Minnesota Twins 7-1 on Thursday night, but the score will not be the lasting image from MLB’s return to Iowa. 

Kyle Schwarber launching two baseballs toward the corn and 26 Hall of Famers emerging from beyond the outfield accomplished that.

The Field of Dreams Game still produces scenes unlike anything else on the MLB schedule. 

It also feels like the league has only scratched the surface of what the event could become.

Let the legends do more than walk through the corn

Watching 26 Hall of Famers emerge from the corn was easily one of the best parts of the night. The entrance recreated the movie without requiring another lengthy speech about what the movie represents.

Then it was over.

MLB assembled one of the largest gatherings of Hall of Famers ever seen at a game and mostly used them as part of the opening ceremony. Give viewers more time with them. Have a few legends play catch on the original movie field. Let them tell stories about their fathers, childhood teammates or the first major league game they attended.

Those conversations would connect naturally to the film’s themes. Fans do not need another breakdown of launch angle between innings. They can get that during the other 2,429 games.

Make the broadcast look like it came from another era

The throwback uniforms and manually operated scoreboard help transport viewers into the setting. The television presentation should go further.

MLB and Netflix could use old-fashioned graphics for one inning, remove the strike-zone box and allow the sound of the game to take over. A few minutes without constant statistics, promotional reads or forced conversation would give the broadcast a completely different rhythm.

They could even dedicate an inning to a stripped-down broadcast with only a play-by-play announcer. Vin Scully could keep an audience company without treating every second of silence like a technical failure. Modern broadcasts might survive nine outs without someone explaining expected batting average.

Bring families onto the original field

The movie’s emotional climax is not a home run or a championship celebration. It is a father asking his son to play catch.

MLB should build an annual tradition around that scene. Before the major league game, the league could invite parents and children onto the original field for a ceremonial catch. Some participants could be selected from Iowa, while others could be nominated through stories submitted by fans.

The league could also recognize baseball families separated by military service, illness or other circumstances. It would create a genuine connection to the film without asking the current players to reenact scenes or manufacture tears for television.

Thursday’s game still provided a few terrific moments. Schwarber homered on the third pitch, added another later and gave the cornfield exactly the kind of baseball image the event needs. The Hall of Fame entrance also delivered.

Now MLB needs to build around those moments.

The Field of Dreams Game should not simply be another regular-season game played beside a famous movie set. If the league wants fans to keep returning to Iowa, it must make the night feel connected to the reason people still care about the movie nearly four decades later.

Baseball brought everyone to the field. The human stories are what will keep them there.