Key People
The Oakland A’s general manager who leads the analytics revolution.
Who is Billy Beane?
The statistical approach to analyzing baseball performance used heavily by the A’s.
What is sabermetrics?
He passes the ____ test.” Scouts used this phrase to judge players based on appearance rather than statistics.
What is the “good face”?
At the beginning of the book, Beane faces the challenge of competing with teams that have far more of this resource.
What is money / a larger payroll?
Billy Beane’s strategy focuses on finding players who excel at this undervalued skill.
What is getting on base?
The young Yale graduate who helps Beane apply statistical analysis to baseball decisions.
Who is Paul DePodesta?
This statistic measuring how often a player gets on base became one of Beane’s most valued metrics.
What is On-Base Percentage (OBP)?
Scouts criticize this physical trait in players, claiming it suggests they lack discipline at the plate.
What is an “ugly” or “unathletic” body / bad physique?
After the 2001 season, Oakland loses star players like this MVP first baseman to a wealthier team.
Who is Jason Giambi?
Beane’s strategy works because richer teams ignore certain valuable skills due to this problem in the market.
What is market inefficiency?
This eccentric relief pitcher with an unusual submarine-style delivery becomes one of Oakland’s most efficient pitchers.
Who is Chad Bradford?
Beane believed this traditional stat was overrated compared to OBP.
What is batting average?
Billy Beane believes traditional scouts rely too heavily on this method instead of objective data.
Intuition
To compete with wealthier teams, the Oakland A’s focus on exploiting this weakness in the baseball marketplace.
What is undervalued players / market inefficiencies?
Instead of relying on scouts’ opinions, Beane makes decisions primarily using this.
What is data / statistics?
This former catcher becomes Oakland’s starting first baseman despite never playing the position before.
Who is Scott Hatteberg?
Sabermetrics often focuses on statistics that correlate most strongly with this ultimate goal.
What is scoring runs / winning games?
The book argues baseball insiders resisted sabermetrics because it threatened their professional ______.
What is authority / expertise?
Hatteberg is converted to this new position after being unable to continue as a catcher.
What is first base?
Many scouts resist sabermetrics because it threatens their professional authority and this long-standing way of doing things.
What is tradition?
This pioneering baseball analyst and author of Baseball Abstract heavily influenced the statistical thinking used in Moneyball.
Who is Bill James?
The idea that some players are undervalued by the market is similar to this economic concept.
What is market inefficiency?
Many scouts judge players based on personality, confidence, and appearance rather than measurable
What are statistics / data?
Early in the book, Billy Beane rebuilds the team after losing three key stars to wealthier teams, including Jason Giambi, Jason Isringhausen, and this shortstop.
Who is Johnny Damon?
The main competitive advantage Oakland gains by using analytics before other teams adopt it.
What is finding undervalued players before other teams do?