-Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game

Sabermetrics, the statistical analysis of baseball, has become a standard part of teams selecting players and creating competitive teams. However, this practice only began recently, with the Oakland Athletics and Billy Beane, who became the team’s General Manager in 1997. As the title implies, Beane’s accomplishment was not in signing the best players or winning championships, but rather in crafting a successful team with one of the lowest payrolls in the league. Using uncommon and advanced analytics, Beane was able to identify and acquire undervalued players that other teams did not consider worth signing. As other teams have adopted Beane’s analytical style, partly due to the popularity of this book, the culture of baseball and measurements for player success have evolved. Moneyball was adapted into a film in 2011, which is also on display in this exhibit.