James Earl Jones brought one of baseball cinema’s most powerful voices to life, but it wasn’t just his iconic baritone that made Terence Mann unforgettable in “Field of Dreams.”
As MLB returns to Iowa for Thursday’s Field of Dreams Game, Jones will be on everyone’s mind who remembers that legendary monologue about why people come to baseball.
This marks the first Field of Dreams Game since Jones’ death at age 93 on September 9, 2024. The timing feels especially meaningful given how his character captured what draws us back to the game, year after year.
What Happened to James Earl Jones
Jones died peacefully in New York, surrounded by family. His relatives didn’t reveal a specific cause, though he’d been managing Type 2 diabetes since the 1990s and had largely stepped away from public appearances in recent years.
His final film role came in 2021’s “Coming 2 America” when he was nearly 90.
Jones was still alive for MLB’s first two Field of Dreams Games in 2021 and 2022, though he didn’t attend either. This isn’t the first time the game’s been played with heavy hearts – the 2022 Cubs-Reds matchup came just three months after Ray Liotta’s death.
The Mann Who Saved the Field
In “Field of Dreams,” Jones played Terence Mann, a reclusive author who becomes Ray Kinsella’s unlikely ally. The character first appears during a PTA meeting where parents debate banning Mann’s controversial books.
What makes Mann crucial isn’t just his wisdom – it’s his timing. He shows up exactly when Ray’s about to give up on the whole thing.
That’s when Jones delivers the monologue that perfectly captures why baseball matters:
Ray, people will come, Ray.
They’ll come to Iowa for reasons they can’t even fathom. They’ll turn up your driveway, not knowing for sure why they’re doing it. They’ll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past.
“Of course, we won’t mind if you look around,” you’ll say. “It’s only twenty dollars per person.” They’ll pass over the money without even thinking about it. For it is money they have and peace they lack.
And they’ll walk out to the bleachers, and sit in shirt-sleeves on a perfect afternoon. They’ll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they’ll watch the game, and it’ll be as if they’d dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick, they’ll have to brush them away from their faces.
People will come, Ray.
The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball.
America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time.
This field, this game — it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again.
Ohhhhhhhh, people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.
Here’s something most people don’t know: Mann was originally supposed to be J.D. Salinger. But Salinger threatened legal action, so they created Mann as a Salinger-inspired character instead. Both authors shared that same reclusive nature that made them perfect for the story.
Beyond the Baseball Diamond
Star Wars made Jones a household name long before he stepped onto that Iowa field. His voice work as Darth Vader started in the original trilogy – he wasn’t even credited in the first film – and continued through six movies total.
Then there’s Mufasa in “The Lion King.” Jones voiced Simba’s father in the 1990s original and its sequel, then returned for the 2019 remake when he was 88. That’s a 25-year commitment to one character.
“The Sandlot” gave Jones another baseball connection as Mr. Mertle, the former pro who knew Babe Ruth before losing his sight to a fastball. It’s a smaller role than Mann, but it shows how naturally Jones fit into baseball stories.
His final performance came in “Coming 2 America” as King Jaffe Joffer, reprising his role from Eddie Murphy’s original comedy. Not bad for a final bow at age 88.
What’s remarkable about Jones’ career is how it spanned generations. Kids who grew up with his Vader voice later heard him as Mufasa, then watched him deliver that unforgettable speech about baseball’s permanence.
Thursday’s game will carry extra weight knowing we’ve lost the voice that reminded us why people keep coming back to baseball, no matter how much everything else changes around it.
