Robert Redford’s death hasn’t just impacted the entertainment realm. The sports world has also been affected.
Redford, who passed away surrounded by family Tuesday at the age of 89, was known for his starring roles in several major films, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Candidate, All the President’s Men and The Natural.
In the final project on that list, based on the 1952 Bernard Malamud novel of the same name, Redford played Roy Hobbs, a baseball star for the fictitious New York Knights and the movie’s protagonist.
Widely regarded as one of the best baseball movies of all-time, The Natural was nominated for four Academy Awards and is one of Redford’s most recognizable characters.
‘One of the greatest baseball characters in movie history’
On Tuesday afternoon, Major League Baseball paid tribute to Redford, sharing a heartfelt message on X/Twitter.
“We’re deeply saddened by the passing of Robert Redford, the iconic actor who played Roy Hobbs in the legendary baseball film ‘The Natural,'” MLB wrote. “Redford, who was a Red Sox fan, will forever be remembered for giving us one of the greatest baseball characters in movie history. He was 89 years old.”
Redford was a Red Sox loyalist
In the statement from MLB, it notes that Redford was a Boston Red Sox fan. It was a loyalty that he stuck with for his entire life.
According to a 2016 Boston Globe article, Redford’s Red Sox fanhood stemmed from his affinity for the team’s legendary outfielder Ted Williams.
“Because of Ted Williams. Ted was my hero when I was a kid. He was from California, and I was from California. He was left-handed, and I was left-handed. And I wanted to be a professional ballplayer,” Redford said.
Redford visited iconic Fenway Park for the first time in 2005, making several return trips over the ensuing years.
