Ep 74: The man who brought the Ghost Players to life - Keith Rahe

If you build it, Keith will keep it going

Keith Rahe is perhaps the most important name related to the Field of Dreams brand after Kevin Costner and W.P. Kinsella. Keith lived right next to the site where the movie was filmed. And when the actors and crew were gone, Keith Rahe kept the Ghosts alive.

In honor of the Fort Dodge Gypsum Eaters being brought back from the dead by Tim Flattery and the Flattery men taking on the Kent Buccaneers, Tim welcomes Keith Rahe, the creator of the Ghost Players team, to the podcast. Keith formed a team of Dyersville and Dubuque County guys who took up the Ghost Players banner and spread the name around the country and the world.

Keith literally took care of the field after filming was completed. After vandals stole bits of movie history like home plate and the pitcher’s mound, Keith helped repair the field and pulled the weeds that started that had started to pop up. When people started showing up wanting to play catch or get a few pitches thrown their way, Keith and his buddies played along. A little girl who saw them emerge from the corn called out, “it’s the ghost players!” and the legend was born. Twenty-nine years later, Keith and the Ghost Players still put on four Ghost Sundays a year. Fans come from around the country and around the world come to Dyersville, IA, to see the show.

The story of how the Ghost Players got their start is amazing. A headline in the Cedar Rapids Gazette brought hundreds of people to the Field of Dreams to see the Ghost Players. Keith and his team have received all kinds of invitations to bring the Ghost Players to life. They’ve been asked to put on shows, put on clinics, play against the Kansas City Royals alumni in Kansas City, multiple tours of Japan, and even a USO tour around the world.

Keith and the Ghost Players bring former MLB stars to the Field of Dreams almost every year, and Kevin Costner also comes back for special events, making Dyersville, IA, a destination for every baseball fan.

Keith Rahe’s passion for baseball and the Field of Dreams film come through in how he tells the stories of the Ghost Players and his travels with the team. Fans of the game and the film alike will love this week’s interview. Enjoy episode 74 with a living ghost, Keith Rahe.