Moneyball is a quest for something as elusive as the Holy Grail, something that money apparently can't buy: the secret of success in baseball. The ...
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Dec 18, 2007
Patrick
rated it: 
If you're a baseball fan, you'll really appreciate this book. It is more or less a primer on the way the emphasis on statistics has come to prominence in many circles around the sport, and provides insight into some of the seemingly more arcane terms around the sport, such as OBP, OPS, VORP, etc. It's really quite valuable in that regard.
It has also come to represent the term for the organizations that embrace this approach to scouting, although that assessment is not entirely accura More...
It has also come to represent the term for the organizations that embrace this approach to scouting, although that assessment is not entirely accura More...
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Jan 24, 2012
Ryan
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Boy did I read Michael Lewis' Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game at the right time: January.
(The off-season.)
Over the last two years, I've made a real effort to learn about sports. Hockey? Not a problem. The NBA? A gossipy league, but I think it's more popular because of it. The NFL? Short but sweet. No matter how hard I try -- I'll score the game, I'll eat the peanuts, but I draw the line at chew -- I just cannot develop an interest in baseball. I recently talk More...
(The off-season.)
Over the last two years, I've made a real effort to learn about sports. Hockey? Not a problem. The NBA? A gossipy league, but I think it's more popular because of it. The NFL? Short but sweet. No matter how hard I try -- I'll score the game, I'll eat the peanuts, but I draw the line at chew -- I just cannot develop an interest in baseball. I recently talk More...
Jan 29, 2012
Angela
rated it: 
So here's the thing: before I started reading, this book had everything going against it for me. Despite my love of sports, I don't like baseball (at all) and I don't watch it. I know the basics of the game but otherwise, really don't know anything about the game and only recognize the names of really famous players. I don't like math or statistics (which are a big part of baseball and in a small way, this book) and I don't generally love nonfiction, though I do read it, it's not more than a cou
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Feb 06, 2012
Jason
rated it:
This was a good book, but not as good as I thought it was going to be. Sometimes I find technical writing to be a bit repetitive, and this definitely leaned more toward technical nonfiction than biography (I think I was hoping for more of a human interest story here)—because even though Billy Beane took up a large chunk of this story, it wasn’t really a story about Billy Bean per se.
Moneyball was published in 2003, only a year after John Henry bought the Boston Red Sox. Before that tim More...
Moneyball was published in 2003, only a year after John Henry bought the Boston Red Sox. Before that tim More...
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Jun 12, 2009
Tony
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If you're a modern baseball fan or a self-described "student of the game," this is a must-read textbook on the recent important "re-think" of how to build and run a major league baseball team in an era of exploding costs. Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane arguably revolutionized the game by introducing a new kind of analysis (I'd suggest following this up with "Building the Monster," a study of how a bigger-market team uses these principles to better advantage
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Apr 30, 2008
Caroline
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A couple cons:
The writing’s a little heavy-handed in places, which might just be a hazard of writing about baseball. Ex: “The batter’s box was a cage designed to crush his spirit.”
Plus, as a poet, I always feel guilty reading books like this when I could/should be reading Proust or Shakespeare…
But:
Overall, I really enjoyed Moneyball, and I’m glad I read it. Even though it’s focused on the emergence of new baseball-thinking, Moneyball seems much More...
The writing’s a little heavy-handed in places, which might just be a hazard of writing about baseball. Ex: “The batter’s box was a cage designed to crush his spirit.”
Plus, as a poet, I always feel guilty reading books like this when I could/should be reading Proust or Shakespeare…
But:
Overall, I really enjoyed Moneyball, and I’m glad I read it. Even though it’s focused on the emergence of new baseball-thinking, Moneyball seems much More...
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Jul 16, 2008
Shane
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Moneyball is a book that shook the world of professional baseball, but not necessarily in the way it should have. Let me explain...
Moneyball is framed around the story of Billy Beane, a hot prospect who never panned out in the majors, who became general manager of the Oakland A's in 1997. Since that time, the A's, while consistently having one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, have been one of the best teams in the game. How is this possible? The book details how Beane and a few tr More...
Moneyball is framed around the story of Billy Beane, a hot prospect who never panned out in the majors, who became general manager of the Oakland A's in 1997. Since that time, the A's, while consistently having one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, have been one of the best teams in the game. How is this possible? The book details how Beane and a few tr More...
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Aug 22, 2007
Anika
rated it:
I've always found baseball fascinating, but have rarely admitted it publicly. That's because the revelation always seemed to be followed by someone trying to engage me in a conversation about the game. And that conversation would always, always end up revolving around statistics I neither cared about nor cared to learn.
Not because Math Is Haaaaaard, but because I always had a niggling suspicion that baseball-nerd numbers really weren't that important. Lewis proved me half right; som More...
Not because Math Is Haaaaaard, but because I always had a niggling suspicion that baseball-nerd numbers really weren't that important. Lewis proved me half right; som More...
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Aug 03, 2007
Keith
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“There was, for starters, the tendency of everyone who actually played the game to generalize wildly from his own experience. People always thought their own experience was typical when it wasn’t.”
“The point about Lenny, at least to Billy, was clear: Lenny didn’t let his mind screw him up. The physical gifts required to play pro ball were, in some ways, less extraordinary than the mental ones. Only a psychological freak could approach a 100-mph fastball aimed not all that far from More...
“The point about Lenny, at least to Billy, was clear: Lenny didn’t let his mind screw him up. The physical gifts required to play pro ball were, in some ways, less extraordinary than the mental ones. Only a psychological freak could approach a 100-mph fastball aimed not all that far from More...
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Feb 26, 2009
Nancy
rated it:
I know next to nothing about baseball, and less than that about statistics, but this book about applying new statistical thinking in baseball to the selection of a winning team (the Oakland A's) was absolutely riveting reading for me. Michael Lewis is just that good.
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Oct 09, 2008
Jason
rated it:
I fucking hate watching sports.
Hate it.
Then how is it that this book, about applying pertinent statistical analyis to creating baseball teams and playing basesball, so captivated me? It's a testament to a) the skill of the author, Michael Lewis, but also b) the unequivocal appeal of the underlying story: how hard it is to change the status quo (and how one can succeed despite that) and the man Lewis profiles, Billy Beane.
A fantastic narrative for fans of spectator sports or fo More...
Hate it.
Then how is it that this book, about applying pertinent statistical analyis to creating baseball teams and playing basesball, so captivated me? It's a testament to a) the skill of the author, Michael Lewis, but also b) the unequivocal appeal of the underlying story: how hard it is to change the status quo (and how one can succeed despite that) and the man Lewis profiles, Billy Beane.
A fantastic narrative for fans of spectator sports or fo More...
Nov 16, 2008
Brian
rated it:
I love how this book opens your eyes to the culture and knowledge of baseball scouting and management. Realizing the inherent flaws in the prevalent approach to the game, you feel that your perspective on baseball players and teams definitely improves after reading this. In this edition, the enjoyable afterword sums up the absurd silliness and insular attitudes of baseball people and their aversion to statistical analysis. I even want the Tigers front office to be knowledgeable about this kind o
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Feb 06, 2012
Daniel
rated it:
As a person who has never played baseball seriously or fallen victim to it's superstitions, this book was not as moving as it could have been. Mr. Lewis illustrates to false economy of baseball drafting and the unwillingness by many organizations to take a second look at how they spend millions of dollars.
I enjoyed the book in the same way that I enjoyed social science books and not much for it's relation to baseball. It amazes me that such a technical book could be turned into a movi More...
I enjoyed the book in the same way that I enjoyed social science books and not much for it's relation to baseball. It amazes me that such a technical book could be turned into a movi More...
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Feb 06, 2012
Brion
rated it:
I never should have liked this book. I'm not a stats guy. I don't play fantasy sports and I have often felt that statistics were overvalued by people that rarely, if ever, had played competitive sports. I don't like the Oakland A's or their megalomaniac GM Billy Beane. A book about how Billy Beane used statistical data to make the Oakland A's a competitive team should be low on the list of something I would ever enjoy. Little did I know that Mr. Beane and the A's were about to perfectly demonstr
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Feb 05, 2012
Ensiform
rated it:
Aiming to find out if poorer baseball teams have a chance against rich teams that can afford the superstar players, Lewis takes an admiring look at the financially constrained Oakland A’s and their general manager, Billy Beane. Despite their relatively small payroll, the A’s win a lot of games. It seems that Beane, to the suspicion and disbelief of old baseball scouts who go by feel, is a student of a new kind of way of reading baseball statistics. Where traditionally body shape, foot speed a
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Jan 31, 2012
Big League
rated it: 
Well, its kind of about baseball. Its more really about Billy Beane and how terrific a GM he is and, as an extra bonus, he is so much like the swell guys on Wall Street who have it all figured out.
Well kinda.
You see, the Oakland Athletics were/are a "poor" ballclub. They do not have the cash of teams like the Yankees or Red Sox so they can not afford much in the way of scouting and even if they do scout they do not have the money to sign the best players (actually More...
Well kinda.
You see, the Oakland Athletics were/are a "poor" ballclub. They do not have the cash of teams like the Yankees or Red Sox so they can not afford much in the way of scouting and even if they do scout they do not have the money to sign the best players (actually More...
Jan 22, 2012
Heidideifel
rated it:
It's a mark of good writing when the author can interest a person in a topic that they have no interest in. I'm not into baseball much and I'm VERY not into math but this book really engrossed me. I realized at the end of one chapter that I'd been holding my breath wondering what would happen next with the trading of the players.
Lewis gives easy-to-understand explanations of the mathematical equations that shaped this new philosophy on how to pick ball players. I really rejoiced t More...
Lewis gives easy-to-understand explanations of the mathematical equations that shaped this new philosophy on how to pick ball players. I really rejoiced t More...
Jan 16, 2012
manyhighways
rated it:
I could feel my understanding of baseball changing as I turned each page of "Moneyball". Michael Lewis is a very good writer who explains how the small market Oaklad Athletics, managed by the irascible Billy Beane, took everything they knew about baseball and, with the help of people like Bill James, turned it upside down. Batting average is not important; on base percentage is. Drawing walks is preferable to being fast on the basepaths. They turned out to be right, and the A's won
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Dec 11, 2011
Zach
rated it:
The best book I've read in a decade. Michael Lewis takes his financial know-how (he was a bond trader before the Savings & Loans Crisis of the late 1980s, as chronicled in "Liar's Poker,") and breaks down the fundamental inefficiencies of baseball--the same inefficiencies which allowed the 2002 Oakland Athletics, a small-market team in a horrible, horrible baseball city, to put together the longest win streak in baseball history.
The best part of Moneyball may be the deno More...
The best part of Moneyball may be the deno More...
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Nov 27, 2011
Adam
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book. It's fascinating to see concrete examples of how conventional wisdom and "common sense" can be proven completely incorrect when faced with some simple data analysis. I also *really* liked learning about some of the founders of sabermetrics, who were writing and publishing on topics like these 30 years before Moneyball became a household term. The fact that baseball is my favorite of the major American sports, doesn't hurt either.
I also, thought th More...
I also, thought th More...
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Nov 24, 2011
Joel
rated it:
On the surface, the pursuit of winning baseball games is a pretty lightweight topic. But then why does it repeatedly produce gripping underlying storylines? Maybe it has something to do with what Woody Allen said when asked why he loved baseball: "It's just beautiful to watch." It might be, like it or not, that it's the competition to win ballgames that drives and creates that beauty.
Anyway, "Moneyball" is just one of those good stories. We have David slaying More...
Anyway, "Moneyball" is just one of those good stories. We have David slaying More...
Nov 21, 2011
Omarquina
rated it:
what can I say, Michael Lewis is a master at telling the story of underdogs, those misunderstood misfits that against all odds manage to succeed by sticking to their believes and keen understanding of the simple truth and realities that everyone else fails to see or simply choose to ignore.
Lewis not approached the subject of baseball with an ability to make it more than just another sport story about the an underdog team.
there is a little bit of everything for everyone, an underdog sto More...
Lewis not approached the subject of baseball with an ability to make it more than just another sport story about the an underdog team.
there is a little bit of everything for everyone, an underdog sto More...
Nov 14, 2011
Jimmy
rated it:
This book was a very good read. The way the author explains the struggles and the way the team was dealing with the issues makes you feel like you're actually there with them. The book is also very informative with he various business processes and accusations that go on during this time period. The book is a lot of fun and a great story about how one team can really turn it around in a time of need. The way they try and get to the top by doing something no one else has ever done before really s
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Nov 13, 2011
elisabeth
rated it:
In a previous life I was a huge baseball fan. Up until the MLB player's strike of 1994 I watched or listened to every Expos game. I knew all the players and minor league prospects. I was a pretty die-hard fan so I know all too well the drivel that "baseball men" repeat over and over again. I was in my teens when I started watching, so old enough to question all the play-by-play babble but the more you watch, the less critical you become and the more you just accept the myths of game st
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Oct 28, 2011
Kevin
rated it:
I had high hopes for this book, and thought it was relatively good. It's the story of how Billy Beane, the General Manager of the Oakland A's, embraced a new way of evaluating talent for baseball. I didn't realize that he had previously played baseball, so that was an interesting aspect of it. While he had all the physical tools to be an amazing baseball player, Beane never really lived up to his potential because his personality and approach got in the way. He went from a player to a scout
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Oct 24, 2011
06mattb
rated it:
Billy Beane has just become the general manager of a struggling professional baseball named the Oakland A's. This book takes place in the early 2000. It talks through every thing about Billy Beane his life and being a general manager. As soon as he gets the job the book begins from there on it talks about them drafting people, him trying to trade and get players and them trying to make a come back and get to the playoffs.
Billy Beane did some amazing things for the Oakland A's. He helped a f More...
Billy Beane did some amazing things for the Oakland A's. He helped a f More...
Oct 24, 2011
Matthew
rated it:
For a book that is as widely acclaimed as Moneyball, I just wasn't that impressed. Michael Lewis is a talented writer (The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine), and this book was entertaining, but there is a huge gap between his thesis and the reality of why the Oakland A's were so successful from 2000 - 2004.
The overall premise of the book is that as a small market team, Billy Beane (and his staff) decided to use a more statistical approach to baseball, accentuating certain ski More...
The overall premise of the book is that as a small market team, Billy Beane (and his staff) decided to use a more statistical approach to baseball, accentuating certain ski More...
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Oct 19, 2011
Jane
rated it:
4 ½ stars. The author is fascinated with his subject, and that makes this nonfiction book fascinating and entertaining.
This is true stuff – nonfiction – a genre I rarely read. I am not a baseball fan. I never pay attention to it. The author mentioned dozens of different player names that I had never heard of. But that wasn’t a problem. I loved the idea of the entrenched bureaucracy of owners, managers, scouts, the press, and other insiders being stupid, doing the same thing f More...
This is true stuff – nonfiction – a genre I rarely read. I am not a baseball fan. I never pay attention to it. The author mentioned dozens of different player names that I had never heard of. But that wasn’t a problem. I loved the idea of the entrenched bureaucracy of owners, managers, scouts, the press, and other insiders being stupid, doing the same thing f More...
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Sep 28, 2011
Jeremy
rated it:
Just read this in preparation for the (EXCELLENT!) movie.
This book, though probably a snooze for folks who don't care about economics, baseball, or math, is fascinating for those that do.
Background: starting in the 1980's, and using rigorous statistical analysis, a few obsessed fans proved that much of the accepted wisdom surrounding baseball strategy and player assessment was wrong.
In the early 2000's, Billy Beane, a former can't-miss prospect/just-missed, non-star More...
This book, though probably a snooze for folks who don't care about economics, baseball, or math, is fascinating for those that do.
Background: starting in the 1980's, and using rigorous statistical analysis, a few obsessed fans proved that much of the accepted wisdom surrounding baseball strategy and player assessment was wrong.
In the early 2000's, Billy Beane, a former can't-miss prospect/just-missed, non-star More...
