Moneyball: The Art of Winning Unhealthy Games is a book by Michael Lewis, published in 2003, about the Oakland Athletics baseball team and its general manager Billy Beane. The focus is an analytical, evidence-based, sabermetric approach to forming a competitive baseball team, even though Oakland's income situation is less favorable. A book-based movie starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill was released in 2011.
Video Moneyball
Sinopsis
The main premise of Moneyball is that the collective wisdom of baseball people (including players, managers, coaches, scouts, and the front office) over the last century is subjective and often wrong. Statistics such as stolen bases, hit runs, and batting averages, usually used to measure players, are a relic of the 19th century views of games and statistics available at the time. Before sabermetrik is introduced to baseball, teams rely on their scout skills to discover and evaluate players. Scouts are those who are experienced in sports, usually involved as a player or coach. The book argues that Oakland A's front office is taking advantage of more analytical performance gauges for team pitches that can better compete with richer competitors in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Strong statistical analysis has shown that the percentage of on-base and slugging percentages are better indicators of offensive success, and A becomes convinced that these qualities are cheaper to obtain on the open market than more valuable historical qualities such as speed and contact. These observations often fly in the face of conventional baseball wisdom and the beliefs of many scouts and executive baseball.
By re-evaluating winning strategies on the ground, Athletics 2002, with about 44 million dollars in salary, is competitive with larger market teams such as the New York Yankees, who spend more than $ 125 million in payrolls in the same season. Due to the smaller team's revenues, Oakland is forced to look for players who are rated low by the market, and their systems to find value in low-rated players have proven themselves so far. This approach led A to the playoffs in 2002 and 2003.
Lewis explores several themes in this book, such as: insiders vs. outsiders (established traditionalists vs. advocates of sabermetric novices), democratization of information leading to hierarchical alignment, and "a cruel push for efficiency demanded by capitalism." It also touches Oakland's basic economic need to stay ahead of the curve; when other teams began to imitate Beane's strategy to evaluate offensive talent, reducing Athletics' lead, Oakland began looking for other undervalued baseball skills such as defensive ability.
Moneyball also touches the "A" method of selection of leads. Sabermetricians argue that the chances of a college baseball player for MLB success are much higher than choosing a traditional high school draft. Beane believes that the high plans spent on high school prospects, regardless of the talent or physical potential that is evaluated by traditional scouting, are riskier than if spent on better college players. Lewis cites small player A Jeremy Bonderman, who was expelled from secondary school in 2001 over Beane's objections, as one example of the type of design Beane selected would be avoided. Bonderman has all the traditional "tools" that talent seekers look for, but thousands of these players have been signed by MLB organizations from high school for years and fail to flourish. Lewis explores A's approach to the 2002 MLB draft, when the team has a series of early options. This book documents Beane's often-tense discussions with his scout staff (who prefer a traditional subjective evaluation of potential and not objective sabermetrics) in preparation for the actual draft design, which opposes all expectations and is considered to be very successful (if not orthodox) by Beane.
Moneyball traces the history of the sabermetric movement back to the likes of Bill James (now members of Boston's Red Sox front office) and Craig R. Wright. Lewis explores how James' Seminal Baseball Abstract, an annual publication published from the late 1970s to the late 1980s, influenced many of the rising young baseball minds and is now joining the ranks of baseball management.
Maps Moneyball
Impact
Moneyball has entered the baseball lexicon; teams that seem to appreciate the concept of sabermetrics are often said to play " Moneyball ." Traditionalist baseball, especially some spies and members of the media, condemns the sabermetric revolution and has underestimated "Moneyball" because it emphasizes the sabermetric concept of a more traditional player evaluation method. However, Moneyball changed the way many premier league front offices do business. Behind him, teams like New York Mets, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, Washington Residents, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Indians, and Toronto Blue Jays have hired full-time sabermetric analysts.
When New York Mets hired Sandy Alderson - the predecessor and mentor of Beane with A's - as their general manager after the 2010 season, and hired former Beane colleagues Paul DePodesta and JP Ricciardi to the front office, the team was jokingly referred to as "Moneyball Mets". Like Oakland A in the 1990s, the Mets have been directed by their ownership to cut payroll. Under Alderson's tenure, team salaries dropped below $ 100 million a year from 2012-14, and Mets reached the 2015 World Series (beating MLB's highest payroll team, Los Angeles Dodgers, on the way).
Michael Lewis has acknowledged that the success of the book may have hurt Athletic luck because other teams have accepted sabermetric use, reducing the advantages that Oakland received from using sabermetric-based evaluations.
Daryl Morey's unusual approaches to the NBA are often referred to as "Moreyball".
Since the publication of the book and its success, Lewis has discussed plans for a sequel called Moneyball called the Underdogs, reviewing the players and their relative success a few years into their careers, even though only four players from the 2002 draft played a lot at the Premier League level.
People discuss in book
Moneyball also includes the life and career of some baseball personalities. The most central is Billy Beane himself, whose playing career fails in stark contrast to a very optimistic prediction by the scouts.
Players and people covered in Moneyball :
Oakland farming system
- Barry Zito - Winner of AL Cy Young 2002, part of "Big 3" with Mulder and Hudson (below)
- Mark Mulder - part of "Big 3" with Zito and Hudson
- The Hudson team - Not designed by Beane; part of "Big 3" with Mulder and Zito
- Kirk Saarloos
- John Baker
- Joe Blanton
- Jason Giambi - Not designed by Beane. 2000 AL MVP, signed with New York Yankees in 2002 for $ 120 million over 7 years
- Miguel Tejada - Not designed by Beane; 2002 AL MVP
- Eric Chavez - Not designed by Beane; AL Gold Glove winner six times
- Jeremy Brown
- Nick Swisher
- Bobby Crosby
- Mark Teahen
- Jeremy Bonderman - traded to the Detroit Tigers in 2002
Oakland bullpen
- Jason Isringhausen - signed with St. Louis Cardinals in 2001-02 offseason
- Billy Koch - 2002 AL Relief Pitcher of the Year
- Chad Bradford
- Jim Mecir
- Ricardo Rincón
- Mike Magnante
Other players
- Kevin Youkilis - mentioned in the book as "The Greek God Walking." Youkilis was designed in 2001 by the Boston Red Sox and was highly desirable by Beane, who tried to trap him through the trade of the three failed teams discussed in the book.
- Prince Fielder - son of former Cecil Fielder warden, compiled in 2002 by the Milwaukee Brewers. Claimed by Beane to be "too fat" even for A's.
- B. J. Upton, now known by his birth name Melvin Upton, Jr. - referred to as an example of a "bad high school draft".
- Scott Kazmir - cited as an example team '- in this case New York Mets - stupidity in preparing high school pitchers because of the difficulty in projecting their future, compared to college players.
- Jamie Moyer - then with the Seattle Mariners
- Ray Durham - traded to Oakland A in mid-2002, referred to as a base-thief and "rent-a-player": a free agent that would attract a lot of offers from other clubs with larger salaries available from Oakland while leaving Oakland with draft picks on draft next year, rules since being eliminated by the Baseball League Baseball Collective Negotiation Agreement 2011. Durham will eventually sign a contract with the Giants of San Francisco.
- Terrence Long
- Erik Hiljus
- David Justice
- Jeremy Giambi
- Alex Rodriguez - Beane compares A-Rod's statistics with Eric Chavez.
- Greg Maddux
- Cliff Floyd
- Alfonso Soriano
- Jeff Francis
- Zack Greinke - designed by Kansas City Royals in 2002
- Scott Hatteberg
Scouts, management, and journalists
- Billy Beane - GM
- Paul DePodesta - GM Assistant
- David Forst - scout
- Grady Fuson - Scouting head
- Ron "Hoppy" Hopkins - National cross-checker scout
- Chris Pittaro - lurked
- J. P. Ricciardi - works under Beane and DePodesta as Personnel Player Director
- Sandy Alderson - Leader and Beane mentor with Athletics
- Peter Gammons - Sportswriter
- Art Howe - Oakland manager
- Ron Washington - Athlete Coach
- Joe Morgan - second floor Hall of Fame and ESPN broadcaster
- Steve Phillips - GM New York Mets
- Bill James - baseball writer and statistician whose book Baseball Abstract greatly influences Beane
- Omar Minaya - Montreal Expos GM
Major Major Baseball 2002 draft analysis
Beane list
Beane put together a list of the twenty players they will design in "perfect worlds"; meaning that money is not a problem and they do not have to compete with twenty-nine other teams.
List, and the team that composed them:
- Pitcher
- Jeremy Guthrie - Cleveland, # 22 (round 1)
- Joe Blanton - Oakland, # 24 (first round)
- Jeff Francis - Colorado, # 9 (round 1)
- Luke Hagerty - Chicago Cubs, # 32 (first round)
- Ben Fritz - Oakland, # 30 (first round)
- Robert Brownlie - Chicago Cubs, # 21 (first round)
- Stephen Obenchain - Oakland, # 37 (round 1)
- Bill Murphy - Oakland, # 98 (3rd round)
- Hitter
- Nick Swisher - Oakland, # 16 (first round)
- Russ Adams - Toronto, # 14 (round 1)
- Khalil Greene - San Diego, # 13 (first round)
- John McCurdy - Oakland, # 26 (first round)
- Mark Teahen - Oakland, # 39 (round 1)
- Jeremy Brown - Oakland, # 35 (round 1)
- Steve Stanley - Oakland, # 67 (2nd round)
- John Baker - Oakland, # 128 (4th round)
- Mark Kiger - Oakland, # 158 (5th round)
- Brian Stavisky - Oakland, # 188 (6th round)
- Shaun Larkin - Cleveland, # 274 (round 9)
- Brant Colamarino - Oakland, # 218 (7th round)
Oakland options
- # 16 - Nick Swisher - a major league of success, trafficked to the Chicago White Sox after 2007
- # 24 - Joe Blanton - a successful major league, trafficked to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008
- # 26 - John McCurdy - never made MLB. Last played small league ball in 2006.
- # 30 - Ben Fritz - never made MLB. Last played a small league ball in 2010.
- # 35 - Jeremy Brown - The MLB experience comprises 11 appearance plates for Oakland in 2006. Last played a small league ball in 2007.
- # 37 - Stephen Obenchain - never made MLB. Last played small league ball in 2006.
- # 39 - Mark Teahen - spent eight seasons in MLB, only playing in minors in 2012 and 2013.
- # 67 - Steve Stanley - never made MLB. Last played small league ball in 2006.
- # 98 - Bill Murphy - MLB debuted in 2007, pitched about 18 rounds in MLB. Just playing in foreign and small leagues since 2009. # 128 - John Baker - traded to Florida Marlins and has played about 300 total games in six MLB seasons.
- # 158 - Mark Kiger - MLB's experience consisted of a 2/3 round on the second base for Oakland in the 2006 American League Championship Series. Never played in regular MLB seasons. Last played minor league ball in 2009.
- # 188 - Brian Stavisky - never made MLB. Last played a small league ball in 2010.
- # 218 - Brant Colamarino - never made MLB. Last played small league ball in 2007.
Acceptance
Richard H. Thaler of the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business and Cass R. Sunstein of the University of Chicago Law School described the book as "a sensation... Lewis has an amazing story to tell, and he tells it amazingly. Lewis also brings up some serious puzzles that he does not solve, and his account has some big and possibly profound implications that he has not explored so much. "
David Haglund of Slate and Jonah Keri of Grantland criticized the book for refining the major young talents gained through design and internationally signed. In particular, they argue that the book ignores the trio throwing Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito, and the position of players like Eric Chavez and Miguel Tejada, all found through traditional scouting methodologies and a key contributor to the success of Athletics 2002. In 2002, Barry Zito received AL Cy Young Award and Miguel Tejada received AL MVP Award.
Movies
A movie based on this book was released in 2011. Actor Brad Pitt plays Billy Beane, while Jonah Hill plays a fictional character based on Paul DePodesta; Philip Seymour Hoffman plays the role of A Art Howe manager. Academy Award winning screenwriter Steve Zaillian was hired to write the script, and Steven Soderbergh will be directed, replacing David Frankel. However, in June, 2009, due to conflict over a script revised by Soderbergh, Sony delayed the screening of the film just days before it was scheduled to begin filming. Soderbergh was finally released.
Bennett Miller took over the task of directing, and Aaron Sorkin rewrote the script. The shooting began in July 2010 at Blair Field, Sports Stadium for Wilson High School (Long Beach, California), Sony Studio at Culver City, Dodger Stadium, and Oakland-Alameda Coliseum. The film was released in theaters on September 23, 2011. Moneyball was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Actor and Best Movie.
In popular culture
The book is parodied in the episode of Simpsons "MoneyBART", where Lisa manages the Little League Bart baseball team using sabermetric principles. Bill James appeared in this episode.
See also
- Odd Man Rush: Hockey Odyssey A Harvard Kid from Central Park to Somewhere in Sweden - with Stops along the Road
- Four Ball
- Bull Durham
References
- Notes
External links
- Moneyball (book details) - Michael Lewis's official website
- Majoring In Moneyball by John Manuel
- Billy Beane's Perfect Design: Baseball Revolution? by Richard van Zandt - guest column on BaseballEvolution.com (13 April 2006)
- Roberts, Russ (January 29, 2007). "Michael Lewis on Hidden Economics Baseball and Football". EconTalk . Economic and Liberty Library Ã,
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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