Moneyball trailer

[SA210]

Absolutely. EVERY team now uses those stats, and you can't get those efficient players cheaply any more because there is a thriving market for them now.

Oakland's main issue was that there is no Moneyball for managers and coaches. They were also extremely cheap in that area, and a top manager can mean the difference in a key game of a series.

Make no mistake, what Beane did was revolutionary. It changed the game. What he did was the equivalent of taking the Clippers to the second round or WCFs. The As were that bad.

Rumor has it that he may be in line for the Cubs gig. I'd love to see what he would do with a big market team budget.

Thank you. And this was my point. He did make a difference. I can't stand when people don't see the greatness in a story like that. They plainly see it as black and white, "Did he win the World Series?" No, so it sucks"



I really can't wait to see this film.

[JMarkJohns]

Thank you. And this was my point. He did make a difference. I can't stand when people don't see the greatness in a story like that. They plainly see it as black and white, "Did he win the World Series?" No, so it sucks"



I really can't wait to see this film.

That's not what I was saying... I was saying that their original trailer with its promise of a championship team from misfit toys is a odd promise to make based upon reality. Like I said, the accomplishments were accomplishments enough - changing the way teams were assembled, winning on small budgets, etc... There's no need to throw in the one line of a Championship team that never exists for the David amongst the many Goliaths.

Then, I added that for all the blustering of "small market this" and "tiny budget" that, the 2000-2004 Athletics squads had plenty enough talent to do more than they did, so while it's an accomplishment to be good on a shoe-string budget, they really should have been better than they were. In 2001, especially. Granted, this isn't Beane's fault, but much of the film seems to be based upon the premise that Beane found ways to overachieve on less, when, in reality, while his talent was young, he had plenty of it, and, I would argue - and not alone, mind you - that his teams did less with more.

Yeah, sucked he couldn't retain his own players. He still had plenty of talent, which, yes, is a credit to his drafting, scouting, eye for trades, etc., but I'm not buying the entirety of the small vs. large. Talent is talent, no matter the size of the contract, and, especially in 2001, the A's had more of it than just about every team and underachieved. In like 2003 (or 2004) they had the MVP and Cy Young on the same team with multiple other All-Stars.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

Thank you. And this was my point. He did make a difference. I can't stand when people don't see the greatness in a story like that. They plainly see it as black and white, "Did he win the World Series?" No, so it sucks"



I really can't wait to see this film.

I never said he sucks. I read moneyball and it was a great book, I just don't see why the movie needs to distort history. You don't need a storybook ending for it to be a good movie.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

If anything the producers of the movie are the ones who don't see the greatness in Billy Beane's story given that they feel the need to turn it into an extremely cliche, "The underdog team wins a world series!" baseball movie.

[SA210]

That's not what I was saying... I was saying that their original trailer with its promise of a championship team from misfit toys is a odd promise to make based upon reality. Like I said, the accomplishments were accomplishments enough - changing the way teams were assembled, winning on small budgets, etc... There's no need to throw in the one line of a Championship team that never exists for the David amongst the many Goliaths.

Then, I added that for all the blustering of "small market this" and "tiny budget" that, the 2000-2004 Athletics squads had plenty enough talent to do more than they did, so while it's an accomplishment to be good on a shoe-string budget, they really should have been better than they were. In 2001, especially. Granted, this isn't Beane's fault, but much of the film seems to be based upon the premise that Beane found ways to overachieve on less, when, in reality, while his talent was young, he had plenty of it, and, I would argue - and not alone, mind you - that his teams did less with more.

Yeah, sucked he couldn't retain his own players. He still had plenty of talent, which, yes, is a credit to his drafting, scouting, eye for trades, etc., but I'm not buying the entirety of the small vs. large. Talent is talent, no matter the size of the contract, and, especially in 2001, the A's had more of it than just about every team and underachieved. In like 2003 (or 2004) they had the MVP and Cy Young on the same team with multiple other All-Stars.

Yea, I know what you mean on that line used in the trailer. Frickin Hollywood But as you said, what he did was revolutionary, and that type of stuff peaks my interest. As now other teams have used the system I think it'd make a movie pretty interesting to watch rather than all that Twilight crap.

[JMarkJohns]

I never said he sucks. I read moneyball and it was a great book, I just don't see why the movie needs to distort history. You don't need a storybook ending for it to be a good movie.

Exactly, like Rocky. I don't need sugary sweet to feel good about something. The backstory is interesting enough. And, damn it, quit having the dopey kid in all sports movies. Nobody cares about the kids.

[Axe Murderer]

in case you're wondering

i dont think anybody was tbh

[SA210]

I never said he sucks. I read moneyball and it was a great book, I just don't see why the movie needs to distort history. You don't need a storybook ending for it to be a good movie.

Well, they may imply a Championship by the statements of the characters, but don't you think they really said those things while starting this system? Yea, maybe those lines being in the trailer might be misleading, but I'm sure they talked like that and really said that to each-other. He says, "I believe there is a championship team we can afford". Don't you think he actually said that and believed it?

[JMarkJohns]

Yea, I know what you mean on that line used in the trailer. Frickin Hollywood But as you said, what he did was revolutionary, and that type of stuff peaks my interest. As now other teams have used the system I think it'd make a movie pretty interesting to watch rather than all that Twilight crap.

I hate the Disneyfication of sports movies. That's not to say I don't enjoy Cool Runnings, but there's very seldom "feel good" in sports. The intrigue of sports is often the humanity involved... this is why boxing premises are often the most successful/revered. The best sports movies I've seen don't rewrite the dark into light to make the story easier to appreciate.

This had all the humanity necessary to be a real good film, but they've stripped it of the potentially darker elements, added a cutesy kid for comedic relief, spun it into a cliche, and slapped a PG-13 rating on it for all the families too easily offended by real life.

You had a handful of guys challenging 150 year old wisdom on how things are run in a sport that's slow to admit its wrong and slower to actually do anything about it, who, if their revolution failed, wouldn't just be out of a job, but be a laughingstock and blackballed. They had everything riding on an unproven... this doesn't need anything more than an honest retelling.

[JMarkJohns]

Well, they may imply a Championship by the statements of the characters, but don't you think they really said those things while starting this system? Yea, maybe those lines being in the trailer might be misleading, but I'm sure they talked like that and really said that to each-other. He says, "I believe there is a championship team we can afford". Don't you think he actually said that and believed it?

To problem is the payoff shouldn't be the individual success, but the changing of the game in a matter of years. That's the significance of the story, not some 20-game win-streak of an ultimately underachieving squad.

I watched Hatteberg hit that homer live. It was amazing - at the time. Until the trailer, I forgot it even happened. What can't be escaped is the fact that this system has been adopted by some degree or another by just about every team in baseball in very short order.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

Well, they may imply a Championship by the statements of the characters, but don't you think they really said those things while starting this system? Yea, maybe those lines being in the trailer might be misleading, but I'm sure they talked like that and really said that to each-other. He says, "I believe there is a championship team we can afford". Don't you think he actually said that and believed it?

No, because that's not how it went. Paul DePodesta (the assistant GM Jonah Hill's character is based off) wasn't the one who introduced sabermetrics to the A's at all. They designed the movie like that because they wanted the cliche "Fat nerd uses his smarts to dominate!" plotline.

Here's a picture of DePodesta, who by the way, was an advanced scout and also special assistant to the GM in Cleveland before going to Oakland. So the whole, "This is my first job" thing is another cliche fairytale:

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

I hate the Disneyfication of sports movies. That's not to say I don't enjoy Cool Runnings, but there's very seldom "feel good" in sports. The intrigue of sports is often the humanity involved... this is why boxing premises are often the most successful/revered. The best sports movies I've seen don't rewrite the dark into light to make the story easier to appreciate.

This had all the humanity necessary to be a real good film, but they've stripped it of the potentially darker elements, added a cutesy kid for comedic relief, spun it into a cliche, and slapped a PG-13 rating on it for all the families too easily offended by real life.

You had a handful of guys challenging 150 year old wisdom on how things are run in a sport that's slow to admit its wrong and slower to actually do anything about it, who, if their revolution failed, wouldn't just be out of a job, but be a laughingstock and blackballed. They had everything riding on an unproven... this doesn't need anything more than an honest retelling.

Yeah I agree about the kid part. I don't recall the book ever having a part about how Billy Beane was a hard working daddeh who wanted to put his kid through school

Unrelated topic, but I'm surprised that even with this huge moneyball/get on base movement that's been in baseball for years that batting average is still such a popular stat. It's been proven for awhile now that it's the most overrated stat in baseball.

[CubanSucks]

i dont think anybody was tbh

you're a little late


GREAT avatar though

[ManuBalboa]

I saw the early premier and it was a good movie. I enjoyed it. I don't care if Hollywood chopped this one up, Baseball is zzzzzzzzzzz, but this movie was good.

[SA210]

I'm going to the midnight showing

[SA210]

Wonderful film. Very inspirational film, great job by Brad Pitt. Loved the scene on the win streak.

[ididnotnothat]

Very good movie and Brad Pitt knocked it out of the park. He has arrived.

[JMarkJohns]

Get rid of the stupid kid.

Good movie, otherwise, though I'd have liked a little more metric backstory/scouting stuff (barely mentioned so as to make the ideas digestible for stupid people) and less of the up-n-down of the 2002 season. Oh, and get rid of the stupid kid. Great buildup, eh middle, solid baseball ending, bringing it back around to the both ideas of success - yes, the idea changed the way the game is analyzed, thus constructed, but without the big-money spending, it's yet to yield the ideal results. When you spend 4/5-times what everyone else does, the idea of metric-based signings isn't necessarily needed.

[Buddy Holly]

I know what you mean. That look like their skin didn't necessarily keep up with the weight loss?

That's exactly what it is. They lose fat too quickly and the skin that's stretched stays stretched.

[SA210]

[SA210]

Moneyball had the best opening for a baseball-themed movie ($20.6M). The previous record-holder was The Benchwarmers with $19.7M.

[SA210]

On Blu-Ray and DVD. Hittin up Walmart at midnight. I'm about to own this one.

[JMarkJohns]

Have fun not waiting in line for the midnight release of a film nobody else cares enough about to purchase the second it hits the shelves.

[baseline bum]

Good movie, but I agree on the hating every scene with the emo kid.

[monosylab1k]

Have fun not waiting in line for the midnight release of a film nobody else cares enough about to purchase the second it hits the shelves.

So are you suggesting that because Transformers gets picked up at midnight by the masses, it's a superior movie to Moneyball?