I guess starting pitching and Miguel Tejeda really didn't matterjust give me a team of Hattebergs, Mabrys & Bradfords and we'll win 100 games?!?

Rating: 6/10 (5 September 2012)

First off, I've never read the book. I am really familiar with it, as it's been talked about pretty much non-stop in baseball circles since it came out, but I don't know how much starting pitching was addressed on the page. I'd like to also consider myself well versed in the thinking of Bill James and his ideas on winning baseball. Hell, I think I bought one of his Bill James Abstracts almost 25 years ago, so his whole OBS strategy is fully ingrained in my consumption of winning baseball.
That being stated, and even though I'm pretty sure this has to have been touched on already, how the hell can the stellar 2002 Oakland A's starting pitching BE COMPLETELY IGNORED in this movie? Their top three starters (Tim Hudson, Barry Zito & Mark Mulder) collectively went 57-21, with 675 combined innings and ERA just under 3.0. And this was at the height of baseball's so-called STEROID ERA!! Granted, starting pitchers' win-loss records at times can be somewhat misleading, as you need consistent run support, solid defense, and great relief pitching to end up with a winning % like that. Still, these guys solidly pitched approx. 46% of the A's innings for the SEASON in which they won 103 games, and weren't mentioned here at all. I guess they did show the back of Hudson's jersey once, as he was the starter in that wild game where they won their 20th straight, but that's it! Zito even won the AL Cy Young Award in 2002, which helped him eventually procure a ridiculous contract from SF which he'll never come close to living up to, but I digress.
Anyway, the movie-makers decided to only champion the role-players, who in fairness, really stepped up and delivered solid seasons. But Tejeda's MVP season ("performance enhanced or not") was also ignored. You can't ignore a shortstop who plays all 162 games, hits .308 with 34 homers and 131 ribbies!! YOU JUST CAN'T!!
All said, MONEYBALL is a well-made movie which ultimately came up short, just like the A's did in 2002.