Jack Goes Confidential: Yale Economics (and the Royals) Fuels ‘MONEYBALL’

Let me say right upfront MONEYBALL is a terrific movie…

And like me, you don’t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy it. Why?

Because it explores ones true worth, being an underdog and one of the most unorthodox comebacks in Major League Baseball. Let’s be real, back in 2001 there were rich teams, poor teams and crap teams like the OAKLAND A’S.

And there was no money to ‘buy-up’

Enter legendary general manager Billy Bean (Brad Pitt) who hires nerdy Yale grad Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) whose analysis techniques revolutionized the way teams evaluated players and took the A’s all the way to the playoffs despite having one of the lowest payrolls in the majors!

Together they outsmarted the bigger and richer clubs by implementing a concept based on analytical statistics and on-base percentages—discounting what scouts ha done for 150 years. In Billy Bean’s own words to his team, "We are card counters!"

Think of MONEYBALL as THE SOCIAL NETWORK of baseball.

And yes Johnny Damon plays into the equation as he was one of several A’s players lured away by Boston thanks to larger market’s deeper pockets.

As for the Royals?

They too are part of the story and the film as they almost spoiled Oakland’s 19 game winning streak in 2002.
Also in top form is Seymour Philip Hoffman as A’s skeptical field manager Art Howe.

But it’s Jonah Hill giving a career changing performance here which should earn him a Best Supporting Actor nomination.

Co-producer Brad Pitt bases the film on Michael Lewis‘ best selling novel ‘Moneyball: The Art Of Winning An Unfair Game’ and together with director Bennett Miller delivers the best movie I’ve seen since THE HELP!

I’m raising 4 out of 5 statistical fingers for MONEYBALL

Catch JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday’s on NewsRadio KMBZ Am & Fm/ 99.7-THE POINT / and 1660-RADIO BACH. And anytime on Time-Warner Cable’s K.C. ON DEMAND, Channel 411.