The phrase “If you build it, he will come” from Field of Dreams is widely misquoted, with the “he” usually replaced with “they.” Honestly, I typed this piece wrong the first time.
Maybe it’s misquoted because “they” aligns better with the team spirit that is the core of baseball. Or maybe it feels more natural to the climax, where Ray Kinsella’s daughter declares that people will come to their wonder baseball field, and we see hundreds of cars driving to their estate.
Nevertheless, what does the misquoted one-liner symbolize?
We’re here to discuss just that.
To Give You Some Context…
Set in the late 1980s, Field of Dreams is a sports fantasy that explores themes of redemption, reconciliation, closure, and rare second chances.
Iowa farmer Ray has had a pretty normal life—something that has started to bother him deep inside. His father was the most mundane person he ever knew, never doing a single spontaneous thing in his life, and, deep down, Ray is scared of becoming his father. Growing up, Ray only saw his father committed to two things: breaking his back to earn for his family and loving baseball with all his heart. Somehow, he pitied him.
Ray continued to share his father’s love for baseball even after he left home. As a child, he was training to become a baseball player, but he quit eventually because he felt he was being pressured—a decision he still regrets in his life, very quietly.
As a teenager, Ray left his home over a fight with his father and never came back. As time went by, the two only grew apart.
His father passed away a few years later. He never met his wife or kid—a regret that gnaws at Ray.
One random morning, as Ray is taking a walk in his cornfield, he hears a voice, almost like a whisper. “If you build it, he will come,” the voice said, and only he can hear it.
Ray grows anxious trying to figure out what it means. He thinks long and hard, but the only thing that comes to his mind is baseball and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, widely considered the greatest natural hitter in the history of the game, who was banned after being accused of intentionally losing the 1919 World Series for money.
Although he was acquitted eventually, he was never allowed to play again.
Years later, there were rumors of him playing baseball in local leagues under a false name. Eventually, Joe Jackson passed away, and it’s been several decades since.
Ray interprets the voice as divine instruction to build a baseball field in his cornfield so that Shoeless Joe Jackson can play once again.
Driven by willpower and a lust for spontaneity, Ray builds the baseball field. Not only does Shoeless Joe Jackson appear, but also other deceased baseball legends, including other Chicago White Sox players, come and begin practicing at the field, but the voice continues with more commands that leave Ray baffled. He feels a spiritual drive from within that motivates him to go on.
It is not until the very end that Ray realizes that it was never about Shoeless “Joe” or the Chicago White Sox players involved in the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. It was about his father’s undying love for the game and his son.
The Subtext of the Phrase
The phrase is an invitation with a condition. The word “if” hints at a condition while subtly underscoring the value of patience and being committed to an initiative.
In this context, the quote is personal; however, the misquotation gives it a larger subtext that aligns with the climax. Let’s see how:
1. “He” Is a Reference to Ray’s Deceased Father
'Field of Dreams'Credit: Universal Pictures, Carolco Pictures
Quite literally, the dialogue here refers to Ray’s father, with whom he shared a very complicated relationship.
Ray left home a long time ago, and therefore never got a real opportunity to repair his bond with his father. Before he could realize it, his father passed away.
Ray doesn’t realize until the very end that by “he,” the voice wasn’t referring to Shoeless Jackson. It is only when his father appears before him as his younger self that it becomes clear.
2. “They” Refers to the Prospect Associated with a Baseball Field
'Field of Dreams'Credit: Universal Pictures, Carolco Pictures
In the end, the baseball field built by Ray attracts baseball fans from far and wide.
With people flocking to the stadium to watch games, the plural form alters the message to a broader, more commercial notion—if you create something meaningful, the patrons will inevitably follow.
Together, both notions bring the poignant father-son tale to life through this iconic movie quote.
What is your favorite moment from Field of Dreams?
