You Gotta Believe is a movie that came out in theaters in August 2024 and was added to Netflix in January 2025. It’s about the Fort Worth Westside All-Stars, a group of underrated youth baseball players who became all-stars through extraordinary events. The movie has Greg Kinnear as their coach, Bobby Ratliff, played by Luke Wilson, and Michael Cash as his son Robert.
The story is about how the team decided to dedicate their season to Bobby, who had melanoma that was killing him. The team’s run to the ‘Little League World’ Series became more than just a game when his son Robert played First Base. The story, which is based on true events, shows Bobby’s unwavering spirit and how he affected those around him. The legacy of Bobby Ratliff changed the lives of his sons and a whole team. Who was Bobby Ratliff? Now, let’s look into the real story of You Gotta Believe and its movie star.
Who was Bobby Ratliff?
Robert “Bobby” Ratliff was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on August 3, 1951. He loved his family and community very much. He went to Arlington Heights High School and the University of Texas at Austin. While there, he joined the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, the Steeplechase Club, and the River Crest Country Club. Bobby loved sports his whole life, especially baseball, and shared that love with his two sons, Robert and John.
Bobby loved the game and was known for being a great assistant coach for the Westside Lions Little League Baseball Team. He said that his sons, whom he and his wife, Patricia Moore Ratliff, loved and supported no matter what, were his greatest accomplishments. He wasn’t just in Little League to teach baseball; he was also there to teach life lessons and bring together a strong group of young athletes.
Bob’s Fight with Cancer
Bobby was told he had terminal melanoma in 2002. Even though he was going through a lot of treatments, he was a rock for his family and the team. It gave the players hope that he would be at games even though his health was getting worse. Robert, Bobby’s son, says that Bobby often missed medical appointments to go to games—which shows how much he cared about his son and the team.
Bobby died in 2003, which was very sad, but his family and the players he coached kept his memory alive. His life showed how important it is to keep going, love, and believe in the face of hardship.
The Journey to the Big Screen
Hollywood learned about the story of the 2002 Fort Worth Westside All-Stars almost twenty years after the events. For the movie, former head coach Jon Kelly was very important in telling the story of the team. In an interview, Robert Ratliff talked about being invited to Kelly’s house to talk about the idea of making a movie about their journey. He said, “Told them about that summer and my dad.” “They all agreed it was good enough to turn into a movie”
Luke Wilson, who played Bobby, got good reviews for how thoughtful his performance was. Wilson “really did a great job playing our dad,” Robert said. Wilson was “aware of how hard this was on us.” The movie is very true to the events that happened but some plot points were sped up to make the team’s journey as an underdog more dramatic.
Read More: Walker Kelly: Where is Coach Jon Kelly’s Son Now?
Bobby’s Legacy
Bobby’s legacy lives on through the movie and continues to inspire young athletes. Robert and John Ratliff started the “You Gotta Believe” sports camp in 2007 to encourage kids to believe in themselves and keep going even when things get hard. The name of the camp comes from Bobby’s philosophy on life and is meant to remind people of how strong he was.
Robert went to Ole Miss and played football there. He eventually moved back to Fort Worth and now works in insurance and coaches Little League baseball. Besides that, he loves his two sons Wyatt and Henry very much. In an interview in 2024, Robert talked about how he often writes letters to his boys—which is something his father taught him. “I think I’ll be able to do okay with my boys if I can do half as well as my dad did with us in that short time,” he said.
John, Bobby’s other son, also carries on the work of his father. He got married to Haley in 2020, and they have three kids together. Both of Bobby’s brothers work together to honor his memory and teach the next generation about his values and lessons.
