The meaning of the film Moneyball (2011)
6 Oscar nominations, 4 Golden Globe nominations, 3 British Academy nominations and 2 Actors Guild Award nominations brought together one of the best films of 2012 in his collection. A simple story about the difficult decisions of the manager of the humble baseball club “Auckland A” Billy Bean (starring Brad Pitt).
There are rich teams. There are poor teams. There is a 10-meter layer of shit under them, and under it we are.
About statistics
The film focuses primarily on how the scientific method and rational thinking make it possible to see what no one sees. Such stories have happened everywhere throughout the history of mankind. The real reasons for the event were explained by strange assumptions. For example, earthquakes in Cyprus were justified by the roar of the Minotaur until they learned about the existence and movement of tectonic plates. And in the 21st century, baseball believed that if a guy had a terrible girlfriend, then he did not have the confidence that was so important on the field.
American sports, divided into leagues NFL (American football), NHL (hockey), NBA (basketball), MLB (baseball) are fertile ground for statistical analysis. Unlike football, where an average of 2 goals are scored, and where each goal brings great chaos in predicting the game. In baseball, when the number of balls exceeds 20, it becomes easier to predict. This is exactly what Billy Bean took advantage of.
The prices for the players, as well as for the products in the store, are determined not only by the quality, but also by the brand, popularity, and the color of the packaging. With the help of competent statistical analysis, Bean looked only at those numbers that could really affect the game, and did not listen to expert opinion. Billy Bean didn’t care how the player ran, what he eats and how he spends his time. The main thing is “how he occupies the base.” This made it possible to find cheap players with “above average” skills. This is the main point of the film Moneyball.
Nowadays, the evaluation of the players is carried out all over the place. The National Basketball Association teams constantly require analysts, and the number of statistics collected by dozens of cameras around the court: where a player is throwing from, through whom he is throwing, how he is throwing against two, is multiplying and multiplying. Big Data (analysis of large amounts of data) has become an important aspect in sports. It is thanks to Big Data that the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs have become leaders and champions in the NBA.
A real manager
Almost every student sat in pairs of management, where they talked about some ideas, strategies and people. But all this is an empty phrase without colorful examples or personal experience in management. Unlike boring lectures, the film shows who a real manager is and what qualities he should have.
It is known that the first one to make his way is to fill the bumps.
The meaning of Moneyball is not only about the big changes in the sports industry itself, the film also talks about how to behave and deal with difficulties when you put everything on the line and are at the helm of a multimillion dollar car. … If the strategy for evaluating players were not working, then Billy Bean would have lost a high-paying job and his life’s work. The hero of Brad Pitt is clearly not a stoic, capable of humbly experiencing difficulties, he is emotional and expressive, but at the same time with his head on his shoulders. He is a true leader for the team, who is respected by the board and the players themselves.
Despite the huge troubles that befell manager Auckland mid-season, he shows no fear or excitement for his daughter. As a real manager, he solves problems, and does not look for the guilty, does not strive for universal admiration and honor, but makes important decisions, thanks to which he deserves respect.
