Show me the Moneyball!!

Take me out to the ball game!

Moneyball is a movie about how Oakland A's General Manager Billy Beane changed the way we look at baseball. The method of scouting, what to look for in a player, and what to expect from them when you put them on the field. This is a movie about baseball, but it isn't only for people who love baseball.

As a baseball fan it is easy for me to become engrossed in the story of the 2002 Oakland Athletics. While 2002 wasn't all to long ago, for some who do not follow baseball, it can seem like a lifetime ago.

In 2002, there was no such thing as a smartphone, LeBron James was a junior in high school, Bernie Madoff was still stealing our money, and the Dixie Chicks were still making music. And while all that was happening baseball scouting was getting a facelift.

Beane (Brad Pitt) gave the sport world a brand new way of looking at baseball players. This movie gives the viewer a look into how the A's followed up a playoff run in 2001 using "misfit" players while losing three All-Star caliber players in Jason Giambi, Johnny Damen, and Jason Isringhausen.

This is a movie for people who love baseball and people who don't know anything about baseball. Any screenplay that has Aaron Sorkin's name attached to it will make sure everyone understands what is going on, even in confusing scenarios (like the infamous MLB trade deadline). For those who love baseball like I do, you will appreciate the intricate details of the statistics, the players that played in certain situations in certain games, and the pitching motion of Chad Bradford. For those who aren't baseball fans, nobody could expect the events in the movie to actually unfold the way they do. But because the movie was based on real events, the story is that much more intriguing.

I loved this movie because of the detail that was used while writing, directing, and acting throughout the movie. Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill's chemistry on screen is wonderful, Pitt's performance as Billy Beane is remarkable, even down to the slight twang in his voice. The movie reminded me how magical the game of baseball can be, the drama, the excitement, and the unpredictability of the 9th inning.

I highly recommend you go see this movie. It isn't in 3D so you don't have to pay an arm and a leg to see it. It has a dynamite cast, a great script, and wonderful cinematography.

In short, it's a Home Run.