“Moneyball” (2011)

With the baseball season in full swing, no pun intended, I decided to re-watch the 2011 film, “Moneyball.” To those who are unaware that it is a true story, the movie might appear to be just another clichéd underdog sports movie. It is in fact, not, however, the type of film that has been produced ad nauseam, where a group of players, (who no one believes in), bands together to buck the odds and win the championship of whatever particular sport the movie deals with. Whether a fictional story or  loosely based on a true story, I’ve seen those sorts of movies. I will wholeheartedly admit that on occasion, I have loved them, “Miracle” (2004) immediately comes to mind, but that is not the sort of story “Moneyball” centers on. Instead of providing excitement through clichéd victory, it is a factually based portrait of the cold and calculating business side of the game of baseball.  

Directed by two time Oscar nominee, Bennett Miller, (Foxcatcher), “Moneyball” is the story of the 2002 Oakland Athletics baseball team which ascended to notoriety because of its low payroll and unorthodox player selection. The 133 minute film premiered on September 9, 2011, at the Toronto International Film Festival. Oscar winner, Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List), and six time Emmy winner, Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing), co-wrote an emotionally satisfying and sharp screenplay, adapted from Michael Lewis’s bestselling book “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game.” The film’s narrative flow centers mainly on Oakland’s general manager Billy Beane, a former can’t-miss prospect, who had a lackluster career in the major leagues. He is portrayed by two time Oscar winner, the charismatic and talented Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood), who fuels the film for several reasons. Firstly, he conveys the emotional turmoil that is simmering under the surface of his character. Secondly, the way Pitt was able to display to the viewer, through his eyes, the catharsis that his character is dealing with during moments of self reflection that have to do with frustration, pain and the what if questions of life.

The catalyst which kicks off the plot of “Moneyball” is game five of the 2001 American League Division Series. The often times hated, (with the obvious exception of their fan base), New York Yankees have eliminated the Oakland A’s from advancing to the American League Championship series. To add insult to injury, Oakland’s general manager, Billy Beane, knows that was his last shot to win the World Series with his three marquee players that he will be losing to free agency due to his team’s budget constraints. First baseman Jason Giambi signed with the Yankees, centerfielder Johnny Damon went on to become one of the key players to help the Boston Red Sox end the so-called Curse of the Bambino in 2004, and relief pitcher Jason Isringhausen was a free agent and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Rebuilding time had come to Oakland, albeit rebuilding with a meager payroll, when compared to the big market teams and their financial resources. Beane decides to approach the problem in a radical way that is put forth by his new assistant general manager, Peter Brand played by two time Oscar nominee, Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street). Brand is a timid, Yale educated, economically minded person. He is a proponent of Sabermetrics, a concept put forth and coined by baseball historian, statistician, and writer, Bill James. In 2006, James was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 hundred most influential people in the world. Sabermetrics, to bring the concept down to its bare basics, uses statistical information to analyze a player’s performance, in regard to the player’s contribution to the team, instead of individual statistics like batting average, or how many errors they make. Furthermore, Sabermetrics also takes into account with its analysis the entire team’s offensive output in terms of runs, not merely the team’s batting average. James himself has said that sabermetrics is the “the search for objective knowledge about baseball.” (As an aside, in this blogger’s opinion, Jonah Hill asserts himself in the role of Brand as an actor whose range far exceeds many of his previous roles, up until that point, in the raunchy comedies that he was known for). 

At wits end, due to an ownership that won’t spend money for talent, Pitt’s character adopts the sabermetrics system. Beane and Brand go about plugging the Oakland lineup with players that are unwanted or undervalued by other teams. Naturally, Beane is met with harsh criticism and opposition from most people involved with the organization. One of the opponents to the A’s new system is the then Oakland manager, Art Howe, a role acted by Oscar winner, Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote). Howe is a weary looking man, who comes across as both standoffish and stubborn. He does not embrace the new system. Instead, he opts to stick to managing the team based on his baseball instincts. It is not until Beane removes all of the players Howe is defiantly sticking with, that he is forced to abandon instincts, and activate the players that were brought on board based on Brand’s sabermetrics analysis.                                                                                          

Trivia buffs take note, the character Jonah Hill is portraying is actually that of Paul DePodesta, who was Billy Beane’s assistant, but did not wish to have his real name used in the film. In addition, during the 2002 season, The Oakland A’s did set the new American League record for consecutive wins with twenty straight victories. The all time major league baseball record for consecutive wins is twenty-six held by the 1916 New York Giants (San Francisco Giants since 1958).“Moneyball” was nominated for six Oscars at the 84^th annual Academy Awards, including best picture, making it the first baseball themed movie to be considered for that prestigious award since “Field of Dreams” was nominated twenty-two years earlier. Sadly, no one involved with the film walked away with a golden statuette. 

Additional cast members include, amongst others: Golden Globe winner, Robin Wright (House of Cards); and Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy). I recommend it to those of you who are fans of America’s pastime. Furthermore, non-baseball fans should be able to appreciate the film’s emotion, strong character driven performances, and intelligence. As of the writing of this post, “Moneyball”  is currently streaming on Netflix.