What is your serious opinion of Billy Beane and his "Moneyball" approach to baseball?

Answer 1

AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Beane did not write the book, Lewis did. Second, it is not a philosophy for playing the game; it is one for running a low market team. How do you succeed in a unfair game it says it on the front of the BOOK! I absolulty hate when people mistake it for a way to play the game. The story took place in a time where OBP was not highly thought of, and look what they did using this “theory” they simply ran off 20 in a row and had a very successful team with little money to use. They changed the way the organization drafted as well. The high school kids in the draft where always the first to but required a longer wait to utilize them at the major league level. Oakland took and drafted polished collage kids that could make the jump to the majors faster then the igh school kid and guess what now other teams are doing that as well. Now this last few years MONEYBALL is the Milton Bradley, or the Frank Thomas, or the Shannon Stewart, guys who have a high risk factor to being on your ball club. Defense is not highly sought after on the free agent market either and they have one of the best defense teams in baseball and that only got them to the ALCS, and look the tigers can’t throw the ball from the pitcher to first and that cost them a world series. Please be informed about the book, go read it don’t listen to Joe Morgan talk about how you can’t win not playing small ball. PLEASE!

Answer 2

Running a baseball team is a business. Some teams have more resources (money) than others. I think Billy Beane just applied some common business sense by asking the question: How do I reinvent the way baseball teams operate? Surely, the A's cannot spend as much money as the Yankees do.

It doesn't work all the time. It may not win World Series. But the A's have been very competitive in the last several years and others have tried to copy his method.

But I do wonder if Billy Beane's approach will change again if the new A's stadium gets built (Cisco Field). With more money, he may have to change approaches again.

Answer 3

Contrary to what small minded individuals believe, winning championships does not define success. Not everyone can win it all and it is certainly harder being in a small market. It would be unfair to criticize the A's when they have successful players all over the league. If they were able to keep more of their talent, they probably would have been to a few more World Series. Real fans want their teams to compete and do the best they can with the resources given. The Athletics still are a very successful organization historicaly and currently, and we will compete again this year. Beane is doing a good job with his approach, but I'm sure he would admit he could always do better. The main thing is that we are in the pennant chase at the end of the season.

Answer 4

He will never win a championship with it. Baseball still favors traditional true baseball skills like hit and run, making contact. Beane's book is great for producing fantasy baseball stars but it only works in regular season and definitely wont work when there is no DH to sport.

Answer 5

He seems to have had a bit of success with it in the past, but has he won any championships? That, after all, is the decisive factor for any system.

He does have a tough job in trying to put together a good team year after year in a small market, especially given that the Giants are just across the bay, and he seems to be doing OK.

It depends on what you are looking for: is just being competitive considered a success? If so, then he has succeeded. If you want rings, then no, he hasn't.