Moneyball

One of our board members gave me one of those “What have you been living under a rock?” looks when I told him I never read Moneyball by Michael Lewis. After reading it, I now know why.

This book is fantastic. For anyone who likes baseball or interested in sports stories, loves the business of sports and loves a read that makes you question the norm, this book is for you.  In this book, Lewis takes you on a tour of how Billy Beane and his front office team look at player personnel and the capabilities.  It questions the norms of what makes a superior baseball talent and the statistical view behind it.  I’ve never looked at the sport of baseball with such an analytical eye.

My only hope now is that I can watch a baseball game and not think the outcome is a pre-conceived notion.  Fortunately, one game is a small sample size and anything can happen.  I can say one thing for certain.  I am even more entrenched in my belief that while it may be easier to build a top tier baseball franchise with all the money in the world (Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, etc), a superior team can be built at a much lower salary level (Devil Rays, Twins, Athletics, Marlins).  I also wonder if this same analytical lens can be placed against other sports like football.

Check out what people are saying about it over at Shelfari.

UPDATE (11:49 AM):  Wow, frighteningly efficient recommendation from Amazon for the book, From the Blind Side, which is Lewis’ book that takes a much similar view for football.  Guess I know what is going to be on my Amazon wish list for Christmas!