Of all the baseball movies ever produced, I would rank “The Natural” as one of my favorites. Likely 1 or 2 if I had to really sit down and compare “The Natural” versus others like “The Sandlot,” “Field of Dreams,” and “Bull Durham.” Add in my recent connection to the movie having met and interviewed (through his son) Robert Trondsen, the illustrator and cartoonist for the film’s iconic sports cartoons drawn by the fictional Max Mercy. Plus, my visit to where the movie was partially filmed in Buffalo, NY – War Memorial Stadium. The movie, the illustrator interview, the stadium visit all led me to my next conquest – reading the Bernard Malamud classic word for word. And that is exactly what I accomplished last week.

Having seen the movie more than a dozen times credits to credits, as well as viewing choice clips of the movies countless times, I was a bit overprepared for the story of Roy Hobbs, Memo Paris, Gus Sands, Max Mercy, and the rise and fall of the NY Knights baseball team. Before reading the first chapter, I was already positioning my brain to watch for cues of what was going to happen next in the story, recalling scenes from the movie. I read and waited for familiar events, familiar plot twists, familiar character exchanges that would change the course of the book’s story like in the movie. That was a big mistake and I quickly shifted out of looking and anticipating events to just reading. I would suggest you do the same if you have already watched “The Natural” on film and plan on reading the book. Trust me on that advice, the film and book stories do not align perfectly.

Books are not supposed to be transcribed and copied word for word, action for action into the screenplay for the movie adaptation. Not every detail from the Hobbit book series made it into the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy of movies. Same can be said for legal books written by John Grisham that became films like “The Pelican Brief” and “The Firm.” The story in the book can somewhat parallel the story told in a movie, for example people and places and general plot. But do not let this fool you to think that just because you read the book of a film you are about to watch that everything you read will come to light on the big screen. “The Natural” fits this description to a tee.

Did Roy Hobbs in the film inspire you when he came back from being shot by the strange woman on the train to become a NY Knights and baseball hero? Did Roy Hobbs find love in Memo Paris or perhaps a childhood sweetheart in the film and that helped develop your affection for his character? How psyched were you watching Roy Hobbs get the winning hit, a towering home run, that broke the stadium’s clock, and propelled the Knights into baseball history? Great, now put all those emotions and feelings in the front drawer of your desk until you finish the book. Because you will be disappointed to say the least if you read and search for the Roy Hobbs in the movie in the book. Simply put, Bernard Malamud’s Roy Hobbs is not Barry Levinson’s (film’s director) Roy Hobbs.

Reading is so wonderful because it is personal. I had a personal connection prior to page 1 of the book “The Natural” through the movie and one of its contributors, movie illustrator Robert Trondsen. The Roy Hobbs character is one of baseball’s greatest heroes on screen, and one of baseball’s greatest mysteries in the book. Where did he go? What did he do for years upon years that he could have been a professional ball player? What motivated Roy Hobbs to make so many critical mistakes with his career, with women, with teammates, and life in general? The film would suggest one thing, the book suggests another. Both are classics, both are wonderful pieces of baseball storytelling, and both are now two of my favorite baseball stories to chat about. I am so psyched to have finally taken the time to read “The Natural” by Bernard Malamud and strongly suggest you do the same. Then, watch (or re-watch) the film, compare the characters, the story, and maybe call on a baseball friend to chat about what you discovered.