Open Thread: Moneyball
BySo apparently they finally did go ahead and turn Michael Lewis’ Moneyball into a movie. I remember hearing that the idea got shelved a few times before I stopped caring (not that I did much in the first place), but apparently it got the green light at some point and there’s a trailer. I dunno, seems a little too dramatic for me. Slow motion bat flips after drawing a walk? Magic Scott Hatteberg homers? And is that David Justice playing himself? I don’t know about you guys, but I’ll stick this one in the Netflix queue rather than run out and go see in theatres. I suspect the book will be far better than film, which is usually the case.
Anyway, here is tonight’s open thread. The Mets are at home playing the Angels (Pineiro vs. Capuano) plus the MLB Network will carry a game (teams depend on where you live). It’s Friday night though, I suggest getting the hell out of the house. Use this thread to talk about whatever you want in the meantime.
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I like the “Buy the best players” philosophy much better than Moneyball. Makes the offseason and trade deadline much more entertaining
But Billy Beane invented sabrmetrics!!!
/Cowherd’d
I’m sure that the scouting community will love being portrayed as dotering old men who rate players by how hot their girlfriends are.
That’s often the problem with Hollywood. Its heavy on the narrative, white hats vs black hats, and light on nuance, or even just the facts. I bet they don’t even get the SABR stuff remotely correct.
I’m with Mike, I’ll wait for Netflix.
I think I’m the only one who really wants to see Moneyball. It’s dramatic in the trailer, sure, but most movie people aren’t baseball nerds like all of us ;P
I want to see it, I loved the book and actually the book Theology is another good baseball read too. I know its about Epstein and all but actually I found it a good read.
I’ll see it because Aaron Sorkin can (usually) write really well.
But the old-man scouts scene did seem like a bit much…
Im sure “Moneyball” wont top “Major League” as greatest baseball movie ever.
I doubt Susan Sarandon will be nailing Beane, Podesta and getting Ricchardi to bust out of his slump. If for no other reason, she must be pushing 65 and might break a hip.
Jonah Hill? That’s hilarious. Would not have called that one.
And no, this guy is playing David Justice. That’s raycess.
Here’s Jorge Posada.
Why is Jorge Posada even in Moneyball?
Tagging out Jeremy Giambi at the end of the movie?
ZING!
then whose gonna play Jeter? hmm…
Himself of course. Derek Jeter is a biracial angel!!!!!
thought they might use the actual footage of the flip, now let’s see if they act it out right.
Laura Posada: Salma Hayek?
A friend’s neighbor is apparently friends with the Posadas and hangs out with them sometimes (and showed photos to prove it). I need to find a way to get myself invited to something with them.
I wonder if they have towels in their bathrooms.
My uncle is actually in this movie. Hes a coach hitting fungos in the infield.
It looks good….I can’t wait for the part where Derek Jeter crushes their dreams with The Flip, and then we sign their best player, who is then later revealed to be a steroid user, and then they suck again. What…you don’t think they’ll show that part?
Can’t think of another instance of a general manager who gets a piece of the team for not winning the World Series. Cashman should have his agent look into that.
I know you’re kidding but I read what was supposedly the script, and the part about the Yankees signing Giambi is pretty huge actually.
And then they can show how teams like the Red Sox adopted similar strategies and it worked and they won.
Look’s kinda dramatic, but when are trailers not?
I’ll probably go see it in theaters. Feels like it’s worth it.
Why is DePodesta’s name not in the movie?
He did not agree with the hollywood interpretation of his character and did not allow them to use his name.
“hollywood interpretation” meaning Jonah Hill was too fat for him? #Maybetrue
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/ne.....ball080510
My former high school was in the news today, the class of 2011 did their senior prank, then all hell brook loose. Students through bottles out of windows and fights broke out in the cafeteria. 20 or so students received citations, can’t walk at graduation, and have to take finals in September. Ouch.
What was the prank?
Real life reenactment of the fight from Anchomran. Jake LaMotta’s Left Hook killed a guy.
Boy, that escalated quickly. I mean, that really got out of hand fast!
I’m proud of you fellas. You all kept your head on a swivel, and that’s what you gotta do when you find yourself in a vicious cock fight.
What was the prank?
I hate to do this, but I will because this is this 3rd time I’ve seen it today on various intertube sites. “Students *threw* (not *through*) bottles out of windows”.
No, he’s saying that students went through windows while inside of bottles.
“Honey I Shrank the Kids: High School Edition”
Threwout this story I wondered how strong the English program was.
and they still didn’t win a Championship.
sabrametics, like anything else in life can be taken too far.
_
But the Red Sox did, the Yankees have, and the A’s won between 87 and 103 games from 2000-2006. Sabermetrics doesn’t guarantee anything, but neither does ‘traditional’ methods.
Only one thing guarantees success: heart.
Sincerely,
Nomar Garciaparra
Selma Hayek’s sabrametrics is 44-C cup.
Not especially hot in person. Swear. And her kid’s poops smell worse than normal kid poops.
Royce Clayton is playing Miguel Tejada.
Something is hilarious about that, and I’m not sure what it is.
a former big leaguer fulfilling a role that he wish he had the type of season? hmm..
Wait, seriously?
He’s listed in the IMDB credits, and it’s not an actor also named Royce Clayton. It’s the genuine article.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1227198/
Note his other listed credits: “1997 MLB AllStar Game, playing himself”.
yeah according to IMDB Clayton is Miguel Tejada.
This is from Royce Clayton’s website (http://royceclayton.com/):
Royce Clayton is one of the premier baseball players of our time and a role model for athletes around the world. He played 2,103 games as shortstop for 11 pro ball teams, culminating with the 2007 World Series championship Boston Red Sox. His prowess and commitment has extended from the ball field to community and charity events — for which he has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars – to the business and entertainment worlds. Welcome to his world!
Wait, what?
soo hmm, Jeff Keppinger is back out in the trade market. Last season, he was close to being traded to the Yanks. I wonder if Cashman will go after him again, or fine with Nunez/Pena?
Mitchell out after 2 IP. Anyone know why?
Got hit around, threw a lot of pitches.
His line: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K.
I’m willing to bet his performance led to him throwing a bunch of pitches, and the combination of the two, especially at this early juncture, forced the manager’s hand.
I have never seen Billy Beane before in my life, but I can assure everyone that he does not look like Brad Pitt.
http://media.giantbomb.com/upl....._large.jpg
He’s not Pitt, but he’s not an ugly man, either.
I mean, he’s not from Boston or anything.
He looks like Kevin Costner.
He kinda looks like Seth Macfarlane
Looks like Jonah Hill…
Hmmm… Norm MacDonald as Billy Beane? Totally different movie.
Whoa– Norm MacDonald as Sam Quint as Billy Beane– MAKE. IT. SO.
i was thinking the same thing!
Looks like you can take the pitcher out of Toronto, but you can’t take the Toronto out of the pitcher. Marcum got slapped around.
crawford leaves game with strained hamstring.
Isn’t Youk out too?
The Sox just think Drew Sutton is a better #4 hitter than Youk.
yea both of them. waiting for the peter gammons theory, “Yankees and other teams tamper with crawford and youk and cause injuries”
Youk left due to a stomach illnes…he went in the club house after the third to take a dump…looked in the mirror and got sick b/c he realized how ugly he was.
So Freddy G. gave us 7 decent innings today. Other than his Boston start when he was taken out early I think he has given us 6 or more innings in every start (I could be wrong on that). Not as good as Bartolo but we should be happy with what he has given us in 2011.
http://www.baseball-reference......;year=2011
He’s now made 12 starts, and he’s pitched at least six full innings in 9 of them. He’s allowed 3 runs or fewer in 8 of those 9 starts.
Do I want Freddy Garcia starting a postseason game? No. Does Freddy Garcia need to be assassinated immediately, like several commenters suggest? No, he’s been eminently useful.
Favorite Freddy Garcia comment:
http://riveraveblues.com/2010/.....nt-1423636
I’ve been surprised how well he’s pitched, especially over the last month. I’m waiting for his LOB% to return to earth, or for his ERA to close in on his FIP, but his run won’t stop. I know to expect quality starts from the guy, but the Yankees still need to scout a replacement, because his stats are saying he’s gonna hit a brick wall soon and just fall off the horse. Thats not something I want to happen when the race tightens up in August.
3.63 era is pretty good regardless of what you think of his stuff.
He also executed 2 sac bunts in one game (today). This is impressive too for a guy with very few abs all these years. Of course Davis has got to be one of the easiest pitchers to bunt on.
I do think it is a better play to have him square and pull the bat back at the last second and let Gardy attempt a steal and then bunt him to third but Joe played it station to station early in the game. I have little faith in Nick (2-27risp) Swisher getting a hit to drive Gardy in in that situation but a grounder or sac fly is not unreasonable to expect.
That would work but Gardner very rarely runs on the first pitch. You end up just wasting a strike on the bunter. Then the opposing team can pitch out at least twice.
This must be fixed. If Gardner is on his own, we need to take that option away. Same goes for when Jeter bats second behind him. Have to at least have a hit and run on to stay out of the gidp with the Captain.
Come on Joe-think outside the Chalupa!
For better or worse, Joe’s pretty tolerant as a manager and gives his players free rein. He even tried to defend Gardner bunting that third strike on Monday. Said he’s 1 for 2 trying that and he’d take 50% success rate. He’s not Billy Martin for sure.
I’m old enough to remember Martin, and people would probably view him differently if they saw him in action. He made Ozzie Guillen look like a timid wallflower. He fell in love with certain relievers and doghouse that was almost impossible to break out of. He wore out his best pitchers, might have ended Catfish’s career. I loved Billy, but he was a short term fix that always ended badly, on and off the field.
Always gotta look at what happened to the guys he had in Oakland.
Still doesn’t change the fact that he won everywhere he went. He’s also probably better than a few managers in the HOF currently *cough*WhiteyHerzog*cough*
Do I want Freddy Garcia starting a postseason game? No. Does Freddy Garcia need to be assassinated immediately, like several commenters suggest? No, he’s been eminently useful.
Bingo.
So we wait until the post-season and then assassinate him? Sounds like a plan.
Only book I could never get thru and I read 60 books a year.
I’m very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.
Oh, Baxter, you are my little gentleman. I’ll take you to foggy London town ’cause you are my little gentleman. Wow, this burrito is delicious, but it is filling.
10/10
You can get the audio book. I believe they hired Lady Gaga to read it. I know, Michael Lewis doesn’t sound anything like her but, hey we’re trying to sell books here.
Mason Williams is 2 for 2. HR and double.
Saw that. He got $1MM+, right?
Mason Williams is the golden child. Baseball America ranked him as the 145th best prospect in the draft. The Yankees selected him with the 145th overall pick. Signing bonus? $1.45M.
Dude’s going into the Hall of Fame with 145 WAR.
The new Peter Gammons of the Yankees.
Heh, that would be 5th all time, ahead of Cy Young (143.2), and behind Mays (154.7). Holy crap.
Fuck that. He’s better than Mays.
The Curious Case of Billy Beane?
i visted Nomaas for the first time since the end of 2009 season , that place is not as funny as it used to be (when they actually had phb.bb forums).
Seems like those guys are butthurt over this blog surpassing that one.
Their content has regressed severely since about that time. The only thing they’ve been able to do of any significance is land some interviews with prospects and f.o. types, but that’s about it.
And their comment section is just the very definition of the cesspool of the internet. People pretending to be tsjc and bex, people pretending to be Mike, Ben and Joe. The newest thing I noticed is a healthy amount of anti-semitism directed at Ben. It’s disgusting.
Very few movies better than the book.
some huge exceptions?
Jaws
2001
Goodfellas
The godfather
Fighy club (the final scene with the pixies song where is my mind clinches this one.)
The shining.
The Bible (dir: John Huston) I found the dialogue much more realistic in the movie version.
Well , Cashman apparently spoke: http://www.fannation.com/truth.....ref=fromSI
Not sure if anything was taken out of context or if there was more to what he said, but Cashman appears to be ready to deal. Can’t help but feel that there’s ONLY a 50/50 shot Montero debuts in pinstripes. I mean, we know Cash has put Montero on the line for Cliff Lee.
Since names like Jered Weaver are only suspected to be available, there’s no point in getting too excited over the statement.
Just saw this name up for discussion:
Michael Cuddyer?
If only very, very, very cheap to DH vs. LHP.
So Cito Culver wears number 2. I hope he doesn’t plan on keeping that his whole career.
JH: “Hey, Billy, let’s fill up these empty laundry detergent bottles with beer.”
BP: “No, I’d rather go scout guys who like to take walks.”
JH: “Ok.”
Saw this trailer today when I saw Green Lantern. Actually thought it looked interesting enough to go see it in a theater, but it really depends on when it’s released more than anything else.
What I find interesting is that looking at the IMDB page for the movie, I don’t see anyone credited as Jason Giambi, so this must just focus on the 2002 season, when they had the big winning streak. I’m disappointed because I thought Nick Swisher would figure into this at some point. Can’t understand why someone is playing Jorge, but like someone else said I can only figure that they’re going to show the tag at home plate in non-archive footage or something.
I was curious about that, too. The A’s scouting Swisher is a pretty big deal in the book, and that whole scene where they’re waiting to see if he falls to them in the draft seemed pretty important.