Change the Game

It takes a lot of conviction to bring a new technique – in this case, hardcode quantitative analysis to major league baseball – and then to stick by it. And what does “sticking by” really entail? Well, for a start, being a one-man proponent of a technique that requires the coach replaced, and many star players traded out for unknowns or perceived also-rans. It also means taking hard decisions all too often. So when Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) takes on the unenviable task of resurrecting the Oakland A’s, in the capacity of General Manager, his odds, to say the least, are pretty limited. And, in the tradition of sports movies, Billy makes something significant of that nothing – in his words, he makes a difference and leaves his very own indelible mark on the game – Moneyball. While the movie is generally tipped to go the way of the likes of The Blind Side and Invictus come Oscar night, unlike these predecessors, Moneyball does require a baseball gene to be appreciated, and does not resound with universal appeal

12/20