Agreed on the talismanic-sports connection. Several years back, Florida State was playing Florida and losing 31-3 in the fourth quarter before mounting a remarkable comeback to come out with a tie that felt closer to winning than anything imaginable. When the comeback started, my friend's cat had crawled into my lap and after the second TD, I figured I couldn't let the cat leave my lap under any circumstances! The cat wasn't happy, as with each subsequent score we were bouncing around, but by the end of the game, I felt as if I had done my share to help the team win
And its the same way for me with the book that became Field of Dreams. I know I'm being manipulated, but yeah, I choke up when he asks his Dad if he wants to have a catch, like any American male who grew up with baseball and a Father.