Moneyball – Welcoming the Geeks to the Game

However, as a baseball fan this flick is a reminder of how baseball changed. The Oakland A’s, as run by Billy Beane, made everyone take notice of a new way of thinking. At a glance the game remained largely the same on the field, you run, throw, hit and catch. But look closer and you will see (with the help of the movie) that baseball is a game built around numbers and has become a home to geeks all over the world.

A few years ago I wrote a piece for a geek site about baseball going to the geeks and it was largely based on Bill James (mentioned in the flick) and how his theories and studies turned traditional baseball into Moneyball. I wrote about loving the numbers in the game. Batting Average, Earned Run Average, Slugging Percentage, Walks+Hits/Innings Pitched, On Base+Slugging and so on and so forth. Those numbers tell the story that you don’t see by watching a game or 2 a week during the summer. They value year long performances and abilities and trends.

And that’s where Moneyball comes in. This movie explains the theory of a “new” way of valuing players and spending money. When Michael Lewis (The Blindside) wrote the book I ran out to get it. When it was announced that a movie would be made, I wasn’t sure how it was going to work. And now that I’ve seen it twice, I want to read the book again and relive what was an amazing story in the summer and fall of 2002.

If there is a number lover in your life who understands some baseball or doesn’t know baseball at all I invite you to grab Moneyball for them, or even better – some of Bill James’ work. Minds will be blown, wheels will turn and a new fan could be born.

And I’ll always welcome new baseball fans!