Speaking of books: Anyone else read Moneyball by Michael Lewis

Yeah, I need to get that book.

 

I bought it about a month ago, and finished it in pretty much one night. It's an awesome story...especially if you are a big fan of baseball. Even if you aren't a big baseball fan, it's still an interesting read, with aspects dabbling in business, human relations, and more.

 

such a good book and so easy to read. i didnt know a lot of how the scouting system worked and how the A's were so effective even though they got one of the smallest payrolls.

 

Is this the gay dude or the GM?

 

Okay so I searched for this book, because I wanted to talk about it and only came up with this thread to bring it back up.

I just finally read the thing today... really interesting and I feel about a million years behind because it took me so long to read it. (I probably wouldn't have been as anxious to read it now if I hadn't enjoyed his article on Shane so much from earlier this year)

So now that it's been out forever has everyone else read it and i just couldn't find the correct thread?

After following the movements that Daryl has made since becoming GM I can absolutely see some of his philosophies in the way that Lewis describes BB.

In fact some of the similarities are startling. Like the 20 game win streak of the A's compared to the 22 game win streak of the Rockets. Drafting players that other think are "too small" or "too slow" or "not in the mold".

When discussing it in terms of the Rockets in comparison it has all kinds of new and interesting ideas running through my head. Especially about the points on a baseball field all having a specific value and how situational statistics are so hard to track.

And the stuff about the box score had me nearly laughing out loud as I thought of Morey's "someone created the box score and he should be shot" comment.

Someone else tell me they enjoyed this book as much as I did?? I am half tempted to go get all the Bill James Baseball Abstracts to read them (and I really am not that interested in Baseball so much as the thought processes behind what he was talking about.

And Mods I am sorry about the thread necromancy... but I didn't know if I should start a new thread or not!

 

read it a few years back good stuff

 

"Its focus is the team's modernized, analytical, sabermetric approach to assembling a competitive baseball team, despite Oakland's disadvantaged revenue situation." = from wikipedia.org

Doesn't that kind of sound of like Morey's approach to basketball?

Thinking about it, we have a a great (understatement) GM. He is doing awesome at getting players with a TON of potential. It working.

 

Well I already knew that Morey was part of the revolution to some extent, but there are specific parts of the book that quite literally had me going, I can see how the Rockets currently work in what Lewis was describing.

And I could see in my mind a lot of the "I don't believe in Moneyball for Basketball" people spitting tobacco in their cups like the scouts in the book at the mere mention of the stats provided.

It was a really interesting book. I recommend reading it, for no other reason than to think about different ways to view sports. It was very eye opening... and this is from someone who had a pretty open mind about it all to begin with.

With all my math classes lately I may be becoming a stat geek.

 

Check out Mind Game and Baseball Between the Numbers.

Get your nerd on.

 

Just wanted to reiterate that this was a great, great book. I think I was in the same boat as you in that I only got interested in actually reading it after Morey came to the Rockets. But the whole idea totally blew my mind.

The thing that was interesting to me is that at the time the A's were saying that if anyone else with a legitimate payroll ever started doing what they were doing that they'd be doomed. With the Red Sox especially and several other teams in the league doing the same thing now, we're already seeing that.



In other news, you should totally read "The Blind Side" as well, especially with Michael Oher entering the NFL this season. It has nothing to do with Moneyball at all, but Michael Lewis is such a great sports author that it's a very enjoyable read. (and I'm a casual NFL fan at best...)

 

Agreed on both accounts. Moneyball reminds me of something Malcom Gladwell would write, except it carries on more of an actual story rather than anecdotal evidence. Regardless, a great read. Baseball is not my favorite sport, but I love statistical analysis, and it's really cool now to see how many of those players Billy was after panned out. (I remember seeing Youkilis a lot in that book, and maybe some others like Teahen if I remember correctly.)

I loved the Blind Side. What makes that story even better is that Michael Oher did pan out to become a first round draft choice.

If you are recruiting experts or novices, I suggest checking out Bruce Feldman's "Meat Market." It's a behind the scenes look at recruiting at Ole Miss a few years ago, and a bunch of those players are the core of the team that rose up to beat Florida last year and is predicted to be a top 10 team this season. Just interesting to see how insane and comprehensive the recruiting process is in college football.


In other news, you should totally read "The Blind Side" as well, especially with Michael Oher entering the NFL this season. It has nothing to do with Moneyball at all, but Michael Lewis is such a great sports author that it's a very enjoyable read. (and I'm a casual NFL fan at best...)

 

Moneyball is a fantastic read. I suggest reading Dean Oliver's Basketball on Paper next if you are interested in what Morey is doing.

 

reading that right now

 

This is an awesome book!

 

I loved the book, but Morey is in a different situation. The A's ownership keeps Bean on a tight budget, he has no choice but to find alternate ways to compete. We are lucky to have a guy like Morey and an owner like Les who won't restrict him to a tight budget.

Reading the book did make it easier to get on board with Morey and what he was trying to do.

BTW, they are going to make a movie based on the book with Brad Pitt playing Billy Beane and Steven Soderbergh directing. Demetri Martin from comedy central is also rumored to be in it.

 

Read it after listening to lewis talk about it on the rome show years ago.
Someday, this book will be required reading in colleges throughout the world, and be just a shade under the works of Marx and other philosophers.

 

It was a definite eye opener. Great read even for people not fanatical over baseball.

There was a string of long articles posted here about the Sonics trying a similar program with sabermetrics. Too bad it wasn't successful enough for them to not relocate...

edit: Found it.
http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=91524

They hired Dean Oliver as a consultant.

Enjoy

 

Thanks guys for all the other suggestions.. gotta find some more time for my inner geek to read .

I had checked Moneyball out from the library four or five times before I finally got around to reading it (it was due back today).

I will have to find Dean Oliver's book next... the library doesn't have a copy.

 

He's actually working for the Nuggets now doing quantitative analysis for them.