Contributor: Wally
Owing to the relatively modest success of recent Oakland Athletics teams (the nicest way I could think of to put it), it has become common practice to proclaim the death of Moneyball. This, of course, is false. Even if on-base percentage were suddenly and inexplicably to fall out of vogue, which is unlikely being as baseball's most elementary tenant remains reaching base, Moneyball consists of more than simply stocking a lineup with high-OBP guys. Rather, it's about determining market inefficiencies, flaws in player evaluation that allow valuable assets to be had at less than the going rate. Teams have been doing this, well, forever. At least since players started pulling in large salaries. This is how small market teams are able to intermittently compete with the well-financed franchises. Indeed, despite the best efforts of Dayton Moore and Co., Moneyball is still alive and well, even amongst those with resources.
In fact, it's better than just "well"...it's thriving. And not just in baseball--in all realms of life. Take dating, for instance. Reasonably good-looking but less-than-magnanimous guys have been pulling attractive women for years. But how? Maybe she's got a large, slightly pointed nose. Breasts that do little to inspire. Calves like an Australian rugby player. Red hair. Market inefficiencies always manifest themselves in insecurity, that's how Billy Beane was able to pull off the coups he was able to in the nineties. If those unathletic, strangely-proportioned, high-OBP/low-BA guys had been properly evaluating themselves (which would have required the free market to at least properly value them some of the time), they wouldn't have all ended up in Oakland.
So go forth, gentlemen. Find the flaw that's depressing your dream girl's market value and pounce. We can't all be the Yankees. Fortunately, with a little help from Michael Lewis and Bennett Miller, we can at least be Brad Pitt.
