Moneyball

I'm halfway through reading Michael Lewis's Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. This book is about how the Oakland Atheltics have been able to consistently field a quality baseball team despite having one of the lowest payrolls in Major League Baseball as well as losing some of their top talent each year because they can't afford to pay the big salaries these guys are demanding as they develop. It's a fascinating look at General Manager Billy Beane's mindset and how he has worked a method of following the truly important stats for hitters (On Base Percentage, Walks, Slugging Percentage) rather than just looking at the Batting Average or Home Run totals or simply following the gut feeling of the scouts. It's breaking all the traditions of how to draft ballplayers, but it seems to be working out rather well for Beane and the A's. This should be a fascinating book for baseball fans.