It is amazing to me that with such a lifelong love for baseball, I have never seen THE NATURAL.  I recognize the theme, I knew the name "Wonderboy"...I just never got around to seeing it.  This is truly a love letter to the sport, and if you are a huge baseball fan, it plays like a wonderful, heroic tale...even if it all that is achieved is that a middle-aged rookie plants his flag in baseball history.  Great acting all around, by Redford, Close, Basinger, Brimley, and Farnsworth.  I really want to go break out my mitt and bat right about now.  Is there anything more glorious in sports film history than that last home run and the fireworks that ensue?