Diksha Sundriyal
‘You Gotta Believe’ is a sports biographical drama film that follows the story of an underdog team that surpassed everyone’s expectations by making it into the league semifinals. The soul of the story hinges on Bobby Ratliff, the team’s coach and the father of the team’s first baseman, Robert. Set in the year 2002, the baseball movie, which is directed by Ty Roberts, begins with the tragic revelation of Bobby’s cancer, which pushes Robert and his team to train better than ever and do what no one thought they could, making their mark in the Little League World Series. Their hard work and dedication win hearts, giving the team and Bobby’s story a bittersweet ending.
Bobby Ratliff’s Cancer Diagnosis Motivated His Son’s Baseball Team
Born on August 3, 1951, Robert “Bobby” Ratliff was a Fort Worth native, dedicated to his family and in love with baseball. A graduate of Arlington Heights High School and the University of Texas, Austin, he worked in the oil and gas business. No matter what was happening at work, he always made it a point to take the time out for his family and be there for his wife, Patricia, and their two children, Robert and John. He also had a good standing in the community, which is why, when his cancer diagnosis came to light, everyone rallied to help him and his family.
The cancer started as a bump that Bobby noticed on his wrist one day. At first, it was thought to be a minor cyst, but a closer look revealed that it was a rare form of melanoma. The doctors revealed that Bobby was in too advanced a stage of the cancer, and he didn’t have much time left. While he did receive treatment, it didn’t make much of a difference. Despite knowing that he was not going to be around much longer, Bobby told his sons and his wife to believe that things could be better and that they would eventually pull through.
His fighting spirit infected his son and his baseball team, and they dedicated their game for the season to Bobby and got his name stitched on their baseball hats. To support the team, he stayed present throughout their training and attended as many games as he could, sometimes even skipping the treatment for it. While his condition deteriorated, it did nothing to dampen his excitement for the team, which passed one hurdle after another and advanced, against everyone’s expectations, to the semifinals, where they held the fort for a record time.
Bobby Ratliff’s Legacy is Carried on by His Sons
Bobby Ratliff passed away on May 7, 2003, at the age of 51, almost eight months after he witnessed his son and his team go through a historic streak in the Little League World Series. The members of the team, the Westside Lions, were the honorary pallbearers at his funeral. He is laid to rest at Greenwood Memorial Park in Fort Worth. In 2003, his friends, Jim Holcomb and Phil Mani, established the Ratliff Foundation Charity with the Robert and John Ratliff Scholarship and Cancer Research Fund Inc. being the major focus.
Through the charity, they raise funds by hosting an annual sporting clay shoot and donate it to Cook Children’s Health Foundation’s Hematology and Oncology Center. Apart from this, Bobby’s sons, John and Robert, and Alec Mullarkey established You Gotta Believe Football Camp and You Gotta Believe Baseball Camp in 2007 to help nurture young athletes by giving them the requisite guidance that would help them not only in sports but also in life. These programs carry forward Bobby’s legacy of resilience against all odds, which was taken to heart by his sons and the members of the Westside Lions Little League Championship World Series 2002 baseball team.
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