Eddie Waitkus is the baseball player who inspired the novel "The Natural" by Bernard Malamud, which was made into the movie The Natural (1984), starring Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs. Waitkus was a top defensive first baseman and left-handed line-drive hitter. He was one of the toughest men in the league to strike-out.

Is The Natural based on a real baseball player?

According to Wikipedia, Author Malamud, supposedly not a baseball fan himself, created “the Natural” story and his Roy Hobbs character from the real life of Eddie Waitkus, a major leaguer in 1941 and 1946-55.

Was Roy Hobbs an actual baseball player?

Roy Hobbs, fictional character, the ambitious and talented but flawed baseball player who is the protagonist of The Natural (1952), the first novel by American writer Bernard Malamud. The character was portrayed by Robert Redford in the 1984 film version of the novel.

Did Robert Redford do his own hitting in The Natural?

Johnson confirms that Redford did all of his own batting for the film, and made some solid hits. Of course, when the time came for the ball to defy gravity and light up the night sky, it required a stronger launch.

Did Roy Hobbs actually strike out?

*OK, I'll spoil it for you: Hobbs does strike out in the book version. So maybe having the umpire say “strike” on that first pitch was Levinson's homage to the book. I should ask him about that. *There are those who point out that before 1950, the home team had the option to bat first.

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How old was Robert Redford in the movie The Natural?

Robert Redford was 47 at the time of filming. The filmmakers scouted the country for a stadium to use in game scenes. They needed something nondescript with a pre-World War II feel, and found it in Buffalo's War Memorial Stadium.

Did Memo poison Roy in the natural?

Not knowing that Memo poisoned him, he nonetheless realizes she's playing against him. Injured and recovering from the poison, Roy struggles during the play-off game for the pennant. Iris, in the stands with her son, sends him a note telling him he's the father.

Was Robert Redford good at baseball?

When he was young, Redford didn't love school, so he pursued his interests in art and sports. He had a great talent for baseball and spent his years at Van Nuys High School on the baseball team, where his teammate was future pitching legend, Don Drysdale.

What is the Wonderboy bat in the natural?

Baseball star Hobbs' signature bat, Wonderboy, was carved from the wood of a tree that was struck by lightning at the same time his father (Robert Rich III) suffered a heart attack. This bat is matched to the scene where Roy entered the dugout and placed the bat in its case.

Did Robert Redford quit acting?

'That's enough': Robert Redford announces his retirement from acting. Robert Redford is calling it a career after nearly 60 years as one of his generation's most iconic actors. Redford, 81, announced to Entertainment Weekly on Monday that his upcoming film, "The Old Man & The Gun," will be his final acting job.

What does the ending of the natural mean?

This is the tragic end of our hero. Roy's lost his honor and his self-respect. He can't look his fans in the face, and he surely can't go back to baseball. He finally realizes that it was his own mistakes that brought him to this point, but that realization is too little and way too late.

Who were the real baseball players in the natural?

Eddie Waitkus is the baseball player who inspired the novel "The Natural" by Bernard Malamud, which was made into the movie The Natural (1984), starring Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs. Waitkus was a top defensive first baseman and left-handed line-drive hitter.

How far was Roy Hobbs home run?

Hobbs' homer is not humanly possible. According to the Home Run Distance Calculator, a hit at 13 degrees and 150 miles per hour would hit our rightmost light bank at its apex and would go on to land around 550 feet from home plate.

Why was Darren McGavin uncredited in the movie The Natural?

Despite playing a significant role in the baseball film The Natural (1984), due to a contract dispute, McGavin was uncredited for his portrayal of a shady bookie, Gus Sands.

Is the story of The Natural true?

Yes—there truly was a Major League player referred to as The Natural who was shot by a strange woman in a Chicago hotel room…and almost died. The movie isn't really the life story of that player's life.

Can Kevin Costner actually play baseball?

He played on the Villa Park High School baseball team in Orange County, CA but was never able to play at the professional level. While at Cal State Fullerton, Costner was cut from the collegiate baseball team by legendary coach Augie Garrido.

Why does Bruce Wayne like bats?

In-universe origin

While brooding in his study over how to be a more effective crime fighter, Bruce Wayne saw a bat come through his window. Reflecting that "criminals are a cowardly and superstitious lot," Bruce adopts the persona of a bat in order to conceal his identity and strike fear into his adversaries.

What was the name of the two bats in The Natural?

Hobbs hits a foul ball that splits his lightening-forged bat, "Wonderboy," in two. Batboy Bobby Savoy brings him his own bat, the "Savoy Special", which Hobbs had helped him to make.

What year did the movie The Natural take place?

The movie depicts the 1939 season. Prior to the 1950 season the home team had the option to bat first or last so it was possible for the visiting team to bat in the bottom of an inning.

Who is Robert Redford married to today?

Robert Redford and his wife, Sibylle Szaggars, have plenty in common. Both artists in their own right, the pair met in the late '90s at Redford's Sundance Mountain Resort, which he founded in 1968 along with the Sundance Film Festival.

Why does Roy eat so much in The Natural?

It is significant that after Roy decides not to pursue Iris, he suddenly develops a great craving for food. He is attempting to fulfill himself in a way that Memo and his own self-centered playing cannot; only Iris has the ability to provide the true fulfillment that would end his desire for both food and Memo.

Why does Roy cry at the end of The Natural?

Roy Hobbs is perhaps unique among the Malamud heroes: he is left in tears, having learned his lessons too late. He decides to be a father to Iris's son, realizing that redemption is the work of a lifetime.

Why did she shoot Roy Hobbs in The Natural?

In the novel, it is clear that she is insane and is obsessed with killing any athlete who does not play the game for the "right" reasons. She asks Roy why he plays, and this is a form of the heroes test which he fails and as a result she shoots and tries to kill Roy.