Fort Worth Little League hosting event for new movie based on 2002 World Series run

The same Fort Worth Little League that inspired “You Gotta Believe” is hosting an event to celebrate the new movie.

Westside Little League is hosting an evening of activities on Aug. 30 to promote “You Gotta Believe,” which will be released in theaters the same day. The film stars Luke Wilson, Greg Kinnear, Patrick Renna, Sarah Gadon, and Molly Parker.

The film is based on the true story of the 2002 baseball team that dedicated its season to a teammate’s dying father and subsequently reached the Little League World Series. Wilson plays Bobby Ratliff, the ailing father who inspired the team and died the following year, 2003, while Kinnear plays the team’s head coach, Jon Kelly.

Westside Little League is hosting the following events on Aug. 30 at 417 Rockwood Park Drive:

• 7-8 p.m.- Kids wiffle ball game.
• 7-8 p.m.- Photos and autographs with the child actors of “You Gotta Believe”.
• 8-8:30 p.m.- Wiffle ball game between 2002 Westside All-Star team and child actors.
• 8:45-9 p.m.- Closing remarks and program ends.

Most of the child actors from “You Gotta Believe” and the real-life 2002 Westside team will be at the event, according to event organizers.

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Robert Ratliff, son of the late Bobby Ratliff, will be at the Westside event and deliver the closing remarks. Ratliff’s employer CAC Group, an insurance brokerage firm, is sponsoring the night of activities.

Babe’s Chicken Dinner House is catering the event.

“You Gotta Believe” is directed by Ty Roberts, who helmed another Fort Worth-centric sports story a few years ago in “12 Mighty Orphans.”

During its 2002 Little League World Series run, the Fort Worth team faced elimination 11 times and won every game. But in the semifinals, Fort Worth lost 2-1 to a team from Kentucky in 11 innings.

Many of the Fort Worth players remain in touch since the outing over two decades ago. In 2022, the team reunited 20 years later on the same Fort Worth field they played on as children.

“You Gotta Believe” releases in theaters on Aug. 30.