Art LaFleur, known for his roles as Babe Ruth in "The Sandlot" and Chick Gandil in "Field of Dreams," has died. He was 78 years old.
On Thursday, Nov. 18, his wife, Shelley LaFleur, stated in a poignant post on Facebook that Art had died after a 10-year battle with Parkinson's disease.
Calling him "the love of [her] life," Shelley explained that Art "brought laughter to so many people" in films like "Field of Dreams" and "The Santa Clause 2" as well as on popular television shows including "M*A*S*H," "Matlock," "Baywatch," "Doogie Howser," "Home Improvement," "Boy Meets World," "House" and most recently "Key and Peele."
His portrayal of Babe Ruth in the 1993 film "The Sandlot" is still known to this day for his delivery of the iconic line: "Remember kid, there's heroes and there's legends. Heroes get remembered, but legends never die! Follow your heart, kid, and you'll never go wrong."
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In fact, Shelley explained the magic ingredient behind her husband's almost 40-year-long acting career and personal life was leading by kindness. "He was a generous and selfless man which carried over to his acting but, more importantly, it was who he was for his family and friends," she said.
She shared that every time their family was able to visit Art while he was on set for his next TV show or film, the cast and crew would always make a point to share how often he spoke of them and "with such pride and love."
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"I was so very lucky to have had a 43-year relationship with a man who cherished me and who I adored," Shelley added. "Art was larger than life and meant the world to us."
