Was Roy Hobbs in The Natural a good man?

Answer 1

Hobbs character is based on 50s baseball player Eddie Waitkus who was shot by a deranged fan, but survived to continue his baseball career. Eddie Waitkus was an eleven-year major leaguer who hit a lifetime .285. Born in Massachusetts, he attended Boston College. He never played for the Boston Red Sox, although since he appeared in 133 games in the American League, it is likely that he played against them on the visiting team. He died in Massachusetts at the age of 53. Signed as a free agent in 1939, Waitkus began his big league career with the Chicago Cubs in 1941 when he was 21. He also played for the Los Angeles Angels in 1943, leading the league in hits. The war intervened, and it was 1946 before he played in the majors again. He served in the military during World War II, won four Battle Stars, and was wounded. By 1946, he had become a Cubs regular at first base. He had perhaps his finest season on the 1948 Chicago Cubs team with Andy Pafko and Bill Nicholson. Eddie hit .295 and made the All-Star team. After the season, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. Waitkus got off to a hot start in 1949, hitting .305. However, on June 14th of that year, he was shot with a .22 caliber rifle in a Chicago, IL hotel by Ruth Ann Steinhagen, an obsessed teenage fan (a la Roy Hobbs in "The Natural"). After several operations to remove the bullet, he amazingly returned to baseball and was a key member of the Phillies' 1950 "Whiz Kids" team. He hit .267 in the 1950 World Series, batting in the leadoff spot ahead of the 23-year-old Richie Ashburn. Waitkus later played a season and a half with the Baltimore Orioles before returning to the Phillies to end his career. Later in life, he worked summers at the Ted Williams baseball camp. http://www.waitkus.org/

Answer 2

He is a good man at first but becomes tempted by money and women.

Answer 3

Robert Redford, Robert Duvall and Glenn Close starred in the 1984 film The Natural.

Answer 4

Robert Redford

Answer 5

Robert Redford & Robert Duvall

Answer 6

In the movie: yes, in the book: no

Answer 7

Robert Redford.