"In all of baseball for the past few years there has been only one batter more useful to an offense: Barry Bonds." ~ Quote by Billy Beane about Jason Giambi.

MY FAVORITE BASEBALL POINTS

I have heard of people referring to Moneyball as the bible of baseball. However, I have never read a bible that contained an F-bomb and Moneyball contains enough F-bombs to be considered an IVD (Improvised Vocal Device). In its true light, this book should be considered as a doorway into the sabermetrics library. The author Michael Lewis, goes into great depth explaining where Billy Beane gains his measurements of baseball players. Most of the metrics lead to Bill James and the background on James proved fascinating revealing a legacy he has created for statistically starved baseball fans.

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HOW IT APPLIES TO THE COLORADO ROCKIES

Billy Beane believes that a closer can be created and Saves is a misleading stat. "Bases empty in the 9th inning with the team leading-was clearly far less critical than a lot of other situations pitchers faced. You could take a slightly above average pitcher and drop him into the closer’s role, let him accumulate some gaudy number of saves, and then sell him off." This belief is most likely a precursor to why Beane traded Huston Street to the Rockies in the 2009 offseason.

In preparing for the 2002 draft, Billy Beane discovers that the Rockies have failed to ink a high school CF named Denard Span to a predraft deal which he fears may have cost him Nick Swisher, his targeted first pick in the draft. The Rockies select Jeff Francis instead, Minnesota selects Span later in the draft and then signs him for less money than Colorado offered, Span hit .294 in 08 with 47 RBIs.

IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, YOU SHOULD READ THIS LITERARY CLASSIC

Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane

The two books have similar parallels as Beane and the youth in Courage are both considered initial failures, before ultimately saving companies which are considered inferior. Courage is set during the Civil War and attempts to explain hidden truths as to why men are fighting and dying. It asks the question of what is courage, and how is it earned?

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