The movie Moneyball is b.s the Red Sox’ player payroll was the second highest player payroll in the league in 2004 when the Red Sox won the first W.S in a long time.Even though Boston wasn’t anywhere close to the Yankees’ payroll in 2004, which was $182,835,513 ($6,304,673 average salary), it still outspent the next closest team, the Anaheim Angels ($101,084,667 payroll in 2004) by almost $25 million.
The truth of the matter is that, had the Red Sox not traded for high profile, high salary players like Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, and Curt Schilling, they would not have won the World Series in 2004. It takes talent to win in any sport, especially on baseball’s highest stage. If Theo didn’t spend the money and buy the player, the Red Sox wouldn’t have the championship. So, in short, Theo and the Red Sox bought a championship that year.
hollywood aren’t the smartest of people
I agree there. But they did it to get publicity because i don’t think some national sports writers know that Baseball even exists west of New York. But the Minnesota Twins would be a better example, Florida Marlins in the late 90s and early 2000s would be another good example than what they used
It had nothing to do with the Red Sox payroll.
They used the same ideas that Billy Beane used, paying more attention to OBP than AVG, using sabremetrics ect.
The Red Sox had more money, which allowed them to get all the players they wanted.
They also were not in as much fear of losing players as Oakland was over players such as Jason Giambi. If you recall, the A’s really wanted to keep Giambi, but couldn’t afford him.
The Sox could resign all their players.
Epstein built a team with Beanes system.
Since he had money, it allowed them to get any player they want, and win a championship.
Beane used different methods than were common at the time. In doing so, he was able to “exploit marker inefficiencies” and far more useful talent for a particular amount of money.
Beane found it useful because he didn’t have much money with which to work.
The Red Sox, with Bill James, were using similar player evaluation techniques. Since they had more money, they ended up with a better team.
With most teams now embracing those techniques, those teams with more money are again at an advantage. The new market inefficiencies must be found elsewhere. Foreign players from non-traditional locales is one of these.
Just because you see something in a movie doesn’t make it true. Most if not all of the time filmmakers like to use what they call “artistic license” to change facts to tell a more entertaining story.
I just want to point out that David Ortiz was NOT a high profile player when the Red Sox signed him. He’d only played two full seasons at that point, and had never hit more than 20 home runs.
According to Baseball-Reference.com, the most similar player to David Ortiz when the Red Sox signed him was… Nick Johnson.
No joke.
It’s a movie. They can claim anything they want. Their job is to entertain, not report facts.
Washington Nationals