This is one of those books which I picked up after watching
the movie “Moneyball”, and it was really a different book for me. Even though I
don’t understand basics about baseball, still this book appealed to me very much. This
was story of Billy, a man who has found a very interesting way to keep getting
players who are really underrated and undervalued in the high valued league of
MLB. He has his own scientific way to do that, and yes it was successful one.
One thought that remain with you even when finished the book is, “In my life I
only did one thing for Money, after that I promised myself that I would never
ever do anything for money”, that thing he demonstrated by refusing red sox offer
of being highest paid manager in the history of MLB, but he choose to stay true
to his values, and even today he is fighting in the unfair world with his own
method.
So what is his method all about, In MLB every team has his
own budget, not all team can offered best player with best salary. So they have
to pic player from lower league to get best value in them. Old school though is
to just see if boy has talent or not, but Billy scientific approach led us to a
system where are not picked on the talent alone, but also by the attribute on
basis on which they affect the game in the most positive pay. It was totally
statistically method, where everything has a proof and data, It was not on the gut
feeling. His journey seems amazing as he was one of few people in the
baseball who have played the game and now managing it as well. That is why he
understands it is not always talent which counts to build a team, team is build
from right group and right person in the mix, talent can just add to the
ingredient of the team.
He was creating a team with the kind of budget, he has was really always amazed people. how they are able to do it against all odds, when other are failing to do it with bid budget. It is one of few good stories in the sports which people like to follow on; people will follow this story and always hope that this team will win. Sometime it is not always about winning but creating something which will have much more deeper impact on the sports. Billy found a way in this unfair world of MLB where he can outsmart other, his way might not be perfect way but he still did it. First time people call it luck, next time a sheer by chance but next time it was a well oiled method which helped them to put together what they can’t afforded. He looked some of the thing which others ignore in the player, and being a cricket fan I can understand that only hitting runs don’t always help, but if player can do lots of thing in a game with fielding, wicket then his value might be less, but chance of him affecting game is higher.
Billy proved one thing to others, it is not always what we
already do is the right thing. There is always some way in which we can
improve. May be his method might fail one day, but till then we have a great
story to read.
P.S.: BTW I was New York Yankees fan, but now I am fan of
this team as well. Even though I know in every two year time we will lose our
all stars player.
