Art LaFleur was the actor most well-known for his role as Babe Ruth. The Sandlot, has died after a 10-year battle with A-typical Parkinson’s, according to his wife Shelley. He was 78.
One of his most memorable was SandlotThe lines were, “Remember kid, there’s heroes and there’s Legends. Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die!”
While LaFleur is best known for The SandlotHis face can be recognized in films like Field of DreamsIn which he was Black Sox ringleader Chick Ganil Santa Clause 2And 3, where he was the Tooth Fairy. He also played countless roles in classic TV series like M*A*S*H, Lou Grant, Soap, Webster, The A-Team, Hill Street Blues, Thirtysomething, Northern Exposure, Home Improvement, Malcolm in the Middle, Doogie Howser, Coach, Baywatch, ER, JAG, House and The Mentalist.
Ironically, despite his list of credits, LaFleur didn’t start acting until he was in his 30s, when he moved to L.A.
Shelly LaFleur posted this remembrance to social media:
This guy…After a 10 year battle with A-typical Parkinson’s, Art LaFleur, the love of my life passed away. To name a few, he brought laughter to many people like Babe Ruth in The Sandlot and The Tooth Fairy 2 and 3 in The Santa Clause 2 & 3. Chick Gandil from Field of Dreams. He was generous and selfless which carried over to his acting but was more important it was who he became for his family members and friends. Each time we visited Art on a location or set, his cast and crew would introduce themselves to us and tell Molly, Joe and me how Art treated us with such pride. He was always happier than the day this photo was taken. Glenda LaFleur joined our family as his daughter. I was very fortunate to have enjoyed a 43-year relationship with a man who loved me and whom I adored. Art was more important than life. It meant the entire world to us.