When you pick up the newspaper, you won’t see the Oakland A’s anywhere near the top of their division, let alone the American League. This leaves many people stunned. How could the “Moneyball” approach not be working this year? Has icon Billy Beane lost the magic, or is there more going on then meets the eye? Obviously Beane’s squad is in the midst of a rebuilding year, but why haven’t the Braves had to have a rebuilding year in over a decade?
Bill Shanks book Scout’s Honor has been proclaimed the “Anti-Moneyball” book. In reading both, there are obviously many differences. Emphasis is placed on stats over appearance for the A’s, and “makeup” over numbers for the Braves. However, the two franchises don’t have as much as contradicting ideas as either side would like to admit. The importance might be placed different, but both teams take the others main points into consideration.