Moneyball (2011)(Film)
December 18, 2024
Moneyball (2011) is a dramatic sports film based on Michael Lewis’ book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. The movie tells the story of Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics, and his attempt to build a competitive Major League Baseball team on a limited budget by using computer-generated analytics to evaluate and acquire new players.
Set in 2002, the film begins with Beane (played by Brad Pitt) facing the challenge of replacing several key players who have left the team to join wealthier franchises. With a small payroll, Beane teams up with Peter Brand (played by Jonah Hill), an economics graduate. Together, they use statistical analytics to identify undervalued players who other teams have overlooked.
Throughout the movie, Beane builds a strong partnership with Brand, and their main challenge is convincing the traditional baseball community—including scouts, coaches, and players—to embrace this new approach. Instead of relying on traditional scouting methods, such as intuition and reputation, Beane’s strategy focused on targeting players with high on-base percentages and other overlooked metrics that contribute to generating runs.
As the season progressed, the Athletics had successful moments, including a historic 20-game winning streak. While they didn’t win the World Series, the team’s unconventional strategy changds the way Major League Baseball teams are constructed and managed, influencing the future of the sport.
Here’s how Moneyball compared to some of the other movies I’ve watched recently here.