Anyone who has seen the Field of Dreams knows how important the Chicago White Sox were to the movie's story line.

When Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella (played by Kevin Costner) built a baseball diamond in the middle of his cornfield, former White Sox great "Shoeless" Joe Jackson was the first to emerge from the surrounding stalks.

Last month, the entire White Sox team -- and the New York Yankees -- emerged from the corn and thrilled fans with a classic battle in the first Major League Baseball game played in the state of Iowa. The event was such a success, a second game between the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs is planned for next year.

Now, another former White Sox great and an ex-team executive are taking possession of the iconic movie site near Dyersville.

Thomas and Chicago real estate developer Rick Heidner own This is Heaven LLC, a company that bought the interests in Go the Distance Baseball that's owned by the Denise M. Stillman Trust. The 53-year-old Thomas will be chief executive officer and former Chicago White Sox Assistant General Manager/Director of Baseball Operations Dan Evans will be chief operating officer.

"We are excited to lead the future development and expansion of the Field of Dreams in a collaborative spirit with our neighbors and government officials," Thomas said in the news release.

Thomas played 19 years in the majors, suiting up for the White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Oakland Athletics. During his career, "The Big Hurt" hit 521 home runs and accumulated 2,468 hits.

Evans started in baseball as an intern with the White Sox and spent nearly 20 years with the organization. From 2001 to 2004, he was Executive Vice-President and General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Go the Distance Baseball and the Field of Dreams movie site announced the purchase of the property in a press release Thursday morning. Terms of the sale were not been made public.

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