In the 2002 baseball season the Oakland A’s pulled off an underdog story for the ages – in fact, it was such an achievement that it was only a matter of time before a director took the not-so-huge gamble of making it into a movie. Here are the similarities and differences between Bennett Miller’s “Moneyball” and the Oakland A’s 2002 unbeaten run.
Similarity: The Oakland A’s won 20 games in a row
In the climax of the film, the Oakland A’s won their twentieth game in a row in dramatic fashion, making Major Baseball League history in doing so. They became the first American team in history to go on such a winning streak, and it was mainly due to Billy Beane’s data-driven, analytical view of the game.
Similarly to in the film version, the Athletics played the Kansas City Royals for their twentieth win, and it was Scott Hatteberg, who had controversially been signed ahead of star names because of the Moneyball strategy, who hit a home run to secure the record-breaking victory.
Difference: The Athletics did not go on to win the World Championship
In the movie, the final credits roll as the A’s clinch the championship against all odds and run to embrace each other. This was achieved in suspenseful fashion, as they came from 4-3 down to shock the world and complete the biggest underdog story in baseball history.
In real life, the Oakland A’s had a fairly average season despite their incredible unbeaten run. This was because they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Twins. The 2002 World Series was instead won by the Anaheim Angels.
Similarity: Billy Beane focused purely on stats and analytics
In the 2011 film, Beane is shown to care only about a player’s stats, with batters who frequently hit first base prioritised over talents who can hit the ball over the park. This is shown through Beane’s willingness to trade for players regardless of their age or personality, with the best example being signing Scott Hatteberg despite his strange throwing technique, which had previously prevented other teams from considering him for their roster.
This is an accurate representation of Billy Beane, who refused to back down or lighten his stats-based approach due to fan criticism or what owners thought of it, as he was certain that it would bring success to the club.
Difference: Art Howe worked with Beane, not against him
In the movie, coach Art Howe strongly pushes back against Beane’s new approach. He seems to want Moneyball to fail, even though it would mean that his own team loses. There are many unprofessional and angry rants directed at Beane from Howe in the film, with friction between the two characters seen throughout.
In reality, Art Howe supported Beane, and together they took a team on a tight budget on an unprecedented 20-match win streak. Although Howe had his reservations on the new philosophy, the two’s debates were always civil. This has since caused frustration from Howe, who was not happy about how he came across in the film and spoke out about it being inaccurate.
