Right now, there are spreadsheet nerds making the NFL offseason bets and ramping up their daily fantasy baseball spreadsheets using data from their $100 per-month subscriptions services (you know who you are) to make the best decisions. These nerds and these services all subscribe to a generalized idea: money ball.
Money ball is three things:
A revolutionary idea for how to build a championship professional baseball team.
An incredible film based on a damn good book.
A bible for analytical disruption.
In episode 02 of Game Theory, Nick and Chris discuss the idea, the film, and the implications. Listen below on Spotify
Originally, Moneyball was criticized as a film for accuracy by media outlets who fact checked the film and sports talkers who recall the 2002 A's team. Indeed, despite the film's oeuvre, the A's did lose 3 very famous players to free agency, but they also had quite literally both the best pitcher and the best non-pitcher in their conference (league*).
Obviously, it isn't the storytellers' fault that the public takes the film as a documentary and not as a compelling 3-part heroic film structure. The film was about the story of disruption, not the implementation of a revolutionary idea about building a baseball team.
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