In the parlance of America’s pastime, Robert Redford and “The Natural” keyed a two-out rally for baseball movies.

The 1980s were a golden era for baseball cinema: “Bull Durham,” “Field of Dreams,” “Eight Men Out” and “Major League” all come to mind. So does “The Natural,” which predates all of those titles and may have very well set the stage for the idea that baseball on the silver screen could be a home run.

When “The Natural,” starring Redford, who died Sept. 16 at the age of 89, was released on May 11, 1984, baseball movies were not exactly a bankable risk. It had been years since the notable releases of films like “Bang the Drum Slowly” and “The Bad News Bears.” Films centered on the national pastime were like sending a .100 hitter up to the plate to pinch hit in the bottom of t

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