Joe: The upcoming movie “Moneyball” is on my list of movies to see. I like sports movies that are at least grounded in fact, even if they stray a little in storyline. “Seabiscuit” was a movie like that.
Ralphie: I won’t get to watch it because my mommy won’t let me. It’s rated PG-13, so she said she’d watch it first on DVD and then show me the parts that were OK for me to see.
Chris: There are dozens of baseball storylines, players, general managers and dot races that would be more interesting made into a movie than one about Billy Beane’s statistics.
Ralphie: He seems like a nice guy. I like that he seems to be a normal kind of guy even though they are making a movie about him.
Joe: Beane’s approach is unique, but when the Athletics were playing their best, it was because they were scoring runs with the “Bash Brothers”-even if they were juiced.
Chris: When considering movies that could potentially be made strictly about the Oakland Athletics, I’d say “Moneyball” comes in at least in the top 30, behind the Bash Brothers, Rickey Henderson, the 1989 World Series, Rollie Fingers’ mustache and behind-the-scenes negotiations on how Smedley the Elephant left Cap’n Crunch to become team mascot. However, because Brad Pitt was not capable of any of these roles, Michael Lewis’ book “Moneyball” was selected.
Joe: Don’t know anything about the book, but I’ll see the movie first and then decide if I want to check out the book.
Ralphie: I don’t know anything about the book.
Joe: Beane is obviously innovative, but it takes players and managers to get into the playoffs. Oakland has not done too much since the glory years of ’88-’89.
Chris: It is surprising that Columbia would produce a movie about a general manager who led Oakland to multiple first-round playoff loses. Although, this does give me hope for Will Smith playing Ron Washington in the film version of “Pigs are Flying,” chronicling the Rangers making the World Series.
Ralphie: I like it. I think it’s a good way to do things. It’s really different from what they usually do, but it might help some players get discovered who wouldn’t get discovered the other way.
Joe: If I was a general manager, I might be inclined to favor speed-in St. Louis it’s called “Whitey Ball” after manager Whitey Herzog.
Ralphie: I’d want players on my team who were good but also really love baseball. I wouldn’t want players who were just playing for the money.
Chris: Why focus on stats such as batting average, RBIs and stolen bases, when one can consider follicle length, facial hair and the amount of back acne.