When I lived in San Francisco, I spent many summer afternoons and evenings at the Oakland Coliseum, sitting as high up as possible, away from the crowd (if there was one). Sometimes we would stop in the Mission, pick up some burritos, and sneak them into the Coliseum. Tickets were always cheap, and the A’s played with heart. That was back in 2000 and 2001. Those were good times.
The new Pac Bell park in San Francisco was much closer, and I grew up a Reds fan so I was much more familiar with the National League, but watching a Giants game at Pac Bell felt like more of a social event than a baseball game. A’s games felt like baseball.
At the time, I knew nothing about the A’s front office; I just knew the A’s had little money and still managed to win a lot of games.
Moneyball focuses on A’s General Manager Billy Beane and his approach to finding talent. The book’s not all about Beane, but if there’s a main character it’s him. It came out in 2003 and follows the team through the 2002 season, right after I left the Bay Area for Japan. I like that this style of managing a team focuses less on big stars and gut feelings and more on stats, but I dislike the way ballplayers are passed around from team to team without emotion. I guess if it’s a business it’s a business.
The ideas are interesting, but the writing is mediocre at best. It’s recommended if you’re interested in what makes a player good or if you just spent a few summers in the Coliseum, cheering for the underdogs.