Moneyball

release year: 2011
genre: baseball drama
viewing setting: home Bluray 6/10/13

synopsis: This is an account of how GM Billy Beane used a minimal payroll to put a winning Oakland A's baseball team on the field in 2002.

impressions: This was based on the famous book. Long story short, rather than going by the time-honored way of putting together teams (which involved a lot of hunches and scouts) this guy used specific statistical data to create a team that could get on base and score runs - without a payroll in the hundreds of millions. It's small-market baseball at its best. A lot of people fought him and ridiculed him, but what he did worked, and has helped change the way things are done, for better or for worse.

acting: Brad Pitt does a good job as the baseball executive who takes a chance and risks his career; you can tell he cares more than he ever lets on. Jonah Hill is a little nerdy, but efficient, as the guy who keeps all the stats in the background.

final word: Good baseball movie with ties to actual events.

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