Moneyball

[muck4doo]

Just saw that movie for the first time last night, and loved it. I'm already a big time A's fan, so I might be(okay, I'm really biased i admit it. I love my A's) biased, but did anyone else love this movie, and what do you think of so many baseball teams going to that model? Do you see the NFL going to that kind of model? The NFL and MLB are so different. The NFL strives for parity, MLB has their rich and poor teams, and that's the way it is going to stay.

 

[RS12]

I am big believer in having a good scouting department in any sport. Stats have their uses though. I think my favorite part of the movie is where he catches Giambi having a good time in the club house after a loss and immediately ships him put of town, and they start playing better. My favorite line is "I hate losing more than I like winning".

 

[godofwar]

Loved that movie. I know it's a little fictionalized , but the story is great. Loved Brad Pitt's performance. I admire the quality it takes to stick with your idea even in the face of failure. I'm a Rangers' fan, and love this movie.

My favorite scene is when Beane, Brand, and the scouts have their final meeting to assemble their FA target board. Beane lays out the plan, and none of the guys gets it. Classic.

 

[FloridaRob]

I liked the movie. I thought Pitt was great as Billy Beane. I am a big Met fan and could see how the A's played the Mets into thinking Art Howe was this great manager. What a disaster that was. I wonder what Art thinks about the movie.

 

[Muhast]

I remember when A-Rod signed his first mega deal they were talking about how his contract was worth more money that the entire payroll of 3-4 smaller market MLB teams put together.

 

[Reality]

The concept of "moneyball" would be more compelling if it actually produced real tangible results such as World Series wins. It seems like every year a small market teams does well most of the season only to fade when it matters. I guess if you're a small market team and looking for a way to at least keep fans coming to the games, moneyball is a good system to follow.

/reality

 

[SkinsandTerps]

You guys should read the book. It's pretty good. My buddy (who is a Red Sox fan) told me about it years ago.

This is how the Red Sox won their first WS in 80+ years.

 

[Reality]

You guys should read the book. It's pretty good. My buddy (who is a Red Sox fan) told me about it years ago.

This is how the Red Sox won their first WS in 80+ years.

The concept of "moneyball" is based on a strategy implemented by a low payroll team to compete against bigger payroll teams. The Red Sox are not even close to being a low payroll team. The Red Sox are usually second in spending to the New York Yankees, though the Dodgers may have passed them this season.

/reality

 

[muck4doo]

The concept of "moneyball" is based on a strategy implemented by a low payroll team to compete against bigger payroll teams. The Red Sox are not even close to being a low payroll team. The Red Sox are usually second in spending to the New York Yankees, though the Dodgers may have passed them this season.

/reality

They're not a low payroll team, but they did use the same ideas that season they won it all. The Pats also seem to operate the same way. Other than Brady and Welker(he's not even that high), who else makes a ton of money on that team?

 

[SkinsandTerps]

The concept of "moneyball" is based on a strategy implemented by a low payroll team to compete against bigger payroll teams. The Red Sox are not even close to being a low payroll team. The Red Sox are usually second in spending to the New York Yankees, though the Dodgers may have passed them this season.

/reality

This is how the Red Sox built that team won in 2004. The system used can be applied for any team. The basis was numeric percentages and low payroll to get the best bang for your buck. However if you have an open wallet and can afford to get this player or that player on top of your depth...watch out.

The Orioles went 10-9 against the Sox that season. This was the season they went 0-3 in the ALCS and did the reverse sweep against the Yankees.

 

[funkytown]

Great book, good movie.

Hate how DePodesta didnt want his name used, but Jonah Hill played a good role in the movie. Brad Pitt was good too.

 

[Reality]

This is how the Red Sox built that team won in 2004. The system used can be applied for any team. The basis was numeric percentages and low payroll to get the best bang for your buck. However if you have an open wallet and can afford to get this player or that player on top of your depth...watch out.

You can make the argument that every high payroll team uses Moneyball. As I said, the term "moneyball" was coined to get big payroll return out of low payroll teams. The Red Sox do not qualify for that and neither do the Yankees or Dodgers. There are small market teams like the Marlins, Pirates, etc. that could benefit from the moneyball philosophy.

Spending $150+ million in salary is not moneyball .. it's simply buying the best. The Red Sox won the World Series because they opened their wallet and paid for it. Maybe they signed only high stat players, but they still paid for players that small market teams like the Pirates could never afford.

/reality

 

[muck4doo]

You can make the argument that every high payroll team uses Moneyball. As I said, the term "moneyball" was coined to get big payroll return out of low payroll teams. The Red Sox do not qualify for that and neither do the Yankees or Dodgers. There are small market teams like the Marlins, Pirates, etc. that could benefit from the moneyball philosophy.

Spending $150+ million in salary is not moneyball .. it's simply buying the best. The Red Sox won the World Series because they opened their wallet and paid for it. Maybe they signed only high stat players, but they still paid for players that small market teams like the Pirates could never afford.

/reality

Good point

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

It was an OK movie but after I watched it I never got why people thought it was so great or why anyone thought any of the actors did such a great job...I think Jonah was even nominated for an oscar for that movie and after watching it I wondered why.

 

[muck4doo]

It was an OK movie but after I watched it I never got why people thought it was so great or why anyone thought any of the actors did such a great job...I think Jonah was even nominated for an oscar for that movie and after watching it I wondered why.

Take your mind off the point of the movie and look at the acting job they all did. They were wonderful.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Take your mind off the point of the movie and look at the acting job they all did. They were wonderful.

I was not terrible acting job...however in no way did any of them wow me.

Never once while watching that movie did one of them stand out to me as an actor or a character that made me say WOW I am captivated with this character or actor.

For example.

I am a Tarantino fan. When I watched inglorious Basterds I thought it was a good movie and enjoyed it. However Brad Pitts accent in that movie annoyed me after hearing a minute of it. There was good dialogue in the movie, good actions scenes and so on but the minutes the movie started and Christoph Waltz was playing the Col aka Jew Hunter...I was captivated. Every scene he was in had me mesmerized and I thought to my self...I don't know who this guy is but he is simply amazing.

I did not get that feeling what any character in Moneyball. Nor did I like it for an action or comedy movie. It was just an OK drama to me and nothing more.

Now to be fair...It was sooooo hyped up as a great movie and people pimped out Pitt and Jonah as doing a great job in it that I expected a whole lot more and that could have shaped how I felt about it. Rarely does a hyped up movie, live up to the hype.

But still...good, far from great.

 

[muck4doo]

I was not terrible acting job...however in no way did any of them wow me.

Never once while watching that movie did one of them stand out to me as an actor or a character that made me say WOW I am captivated with this character or actor.

For example.

I am a Tarantino fan. When I watched inglorious Basterds I thought it was a good movie and enjoyed it. However Brad Pitts accent in that movie annoyed me after hearing a minute of it. There was good dialogue in the movie, good actions scenes and so on but the minutes the movie started and Christoph Waltz was playing the Col aka Jew Hunter...I was captivated. Every scene he was in had me mesmerized and I thought to my self...I don't know who this guy is but he is simply amazing.

I did not get that feeling what any character in Moneyball. Nor did I like it for an action or comedy movie. It was just an OK drama to me and nothing more.

Now to be fair...It was sooooo hyped up as a great movie and people pimped out Pitt and Jonah as doing a great job in it that I expected a whole lot more and that could have shaped how I felt about it. Rarely does a hyped up movie, live up to the hype.

But still...good, far from great.

Fair enough. I loved it, but also realize not everyone will feel the same way.

 

[Diogenes]

Good, not great. 6/10

I watched The Fighter the next night and thought it was much better. 8/10

 

[Tabascocat]

Moneyball was a good movie. If you love baseball, it ranks up there but I can see it's other side as well if ya don't like/understand the game.

Baseball is my favorite sport(Mets fan) and I loved it. Dallas Cowboy football is my passion though.

 

[CashMan]

You can make the argument that every high payroll team uses Moneyball. As I said, the term "moneyball" was coined to get big payroll return out of low payroll teams. The Red Sox do not qualify for that and neither do the Yankees or Dodgers. There are small market teams like the Marlins, Pirates, etc. that could benefit from the moneyball philosophy.

Spending $150+ million in salary is not moneyball .. it's simply buying the best. The Red Sox won the World Series because they opened their wallet and paid for it. Maybe they signed only high stat players, but they still paid for players that small market teams like the Pirates could never afford.

/reality

I think you are right to a degree. Big money teams want the HR's because that sells tickets, so they pass of the guys who don't hit them. But, that doesn't mean those players are bad. Moneyball looks at OBP, and determines if that player is valuable. I believe Moneyball doesn't like steals either. I think Theo did a good job of implementing it with money, and is trying to do the same with the Cubs. I think Theo implements it as well as Beane, just has some wiggle room to take chances with the money.