sportsjabber.net

It’s unbelievable how much you don’t know about the game you’ve been playing all your life.

— Mickey Mantle

Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt as Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane, is the movie version of Michael Lewis’ best selling book depicting Beane and the 2002 over-achieving Athletics.

The movie begins with the A’s blowing a 2-0 game lead in the ALDS (not the World Series as Roger Ebert said in his movie review) against the Yankees as the Bronx Bombers come back to win 3 straight to oust Oakland.  The 2001 A’s were the best wild card entry in the history of baseball, finishing with 102 wins, but a mere 14 games behind a phenomenal Mariners team.  The A’s near win is amazing in that its less than $40 million team salary is 1/3 that of the Yankees’ payroll.

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