Moneyball Page #7

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Art Howe is not the problem.

The problem is in the

general manager's office

with Billy Beane.

COMMENTATOR 2:

The root of the problem for me

is philosophical.

I said it before.

This is fantasy baseball.

Billy is just not thinking.

CALLER 1:

Start thinking about a new GM,

making changes.

CALLER 2:

He never goes to the games.

GRADY:

This was very predictable.

CALLER 2:

He needs to look at what's going on.

The man needs to get real.

CALLER 3:
I want Billy Beane gone.

HOST:

Calling for Beane's head.

I want your thoughts.

ANNOUNCER:

The past 18 games, they've been

shut out or scored one run four times.

They're just not scoring enough.

It's not just the offense,

not Thad Bosley and the hitters.

It's everything. If there was one thing

you could pick out, you'd try to fix it,

but just everything is in a funk

right now.

[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]

What the hell am I doing?

Oh, man.

BILLY:

Look, Steve.

I believe in what

we're doing.

The record doesn't reflect

the strength of this team

or where we're gonna be

at the end of the season.

Now, Pete and I here feel

very strongly that we stay

on the track we've chosen.

PETER:

Our sample size has

been too small. It's too--

BILLY:

Early. It's still early.

Where do we expect to be

by the All-Star break?

Our goal

and our expectation

is by mid-July to be within

seven games of first.

That would be

this working.

That keeps us in the hunt.

Exceptionally well.

By July.

BILLY:
July.

And what's gonna prevent you

from accomplishing that?

What are you afraid of?

BILLY:

Nothing. That's why

we're here, Steve.

That's why we get up

in the morning.

That's all we do.

More?

Yeah, a little more.

Don't tell your mother.

I won't.

Chocolate sauce?

Yes.

Stop.

Big spoon or little spoon?

Little spoon.

Thank you.

Dad, there's no way you're

gonna lose your job, right?

What?

Well, I don't know.

I'm just wondering.

Where'd you hear that?

Well, I go on the Internet

sometimes.

Well, don't do that.

Don't go on the Internet.

Or watch TV

or read newspapers

or talk to people.

I don't talk to people.

I just read stuff.

Honey, everything's fine.

Everything's fine.

Really, you don't have to worry.

But if you lose your job,

will you have to move away?

Honey, I'm not gonna

lose my job.

You don't have to worry.

Okay.

Hey.

There's no problem.

Okay.

All right? I got uptown problems,

which are not problems at all.

You're not worried, right?

No, I'm not worried.

Okay.

Pena.

Okay.

I want Dye in right,

Justice DH'ing,

Pena on the bench,

Hatteberg at first,

and anyone but Mags

first out of the pen.

You want Pena on the bench?

That's right.

So you can play Hattie.

Pena is not only

the best first baseman,

he's the only first baseman.

Hattie gets on base

more than Pena.

In fact, 20 percent more.

And his fielding?

His fielding does not matter.

I've heard enough of this.

Have you?

And I, uh...

I disagree with you,

plain and simple.

And moreover,

I'm playing my team

in a way that I can explain

in job interviews next winter.

Okay? Ahem.

Hattie. Not Pena.

What's up, skip?

How you doing?

Good, how you doing, man?

Get some sleep

last night?

ANNOUNCER [ON TV]:

As the A's hit the field,

we are ready for baseball.

First one out of the dugout

is rookie sensation Carlos Pena,

one of the few bright lights in this

lineup, taking his spot at first base.

[CHAIR CLATTERING]

[]

[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]

[PARLIAMENT'S "GIVE UP THE

FUNK (TEAR THE ROOF OFF THE

SUCKER)" PLAYING ON STEREO]

Down, gettin' down

There's a whole lot of rhythm

Billy, quick question.

Do you expect these guys

to produce more or--?

BILLY:
Not now.

What's the reason for the slump?

We gotta have the funk

Ow, we want the funk

Give up the funk

Ow, we need the funk

We gotta have the funk

[MUSIC STOPS]

Get down.

Is losing fun?

Is losing fun?

No.

What are you having fun for?

[BAT CLATTERS]

That's what losing

sounds like.

Are you okay, Dad?

You're doing it again.

What?

You're worrying about me.

You're in last place, Dad.

Do I look worried?

Yeah.

Because you're getting

on an airplane, and those

things crash all the time.

Please stop worrying

about your dad.

We're all set.

Okay.

I love you.

Love you too.

All right. Your dad's not in trouble.

Okay.

[]

[TIRES SCREECHING]

Yeah.

Suzanne, get me Ed Wade.

SUZANNE:
Okay.

Coffee on?

Yes.

Good morning.

Good morning, Billy.

Oh, hi, Louisa.

I need Ed Wade for Billy Beane.

PETER:
Hi.

SUZANNE:

Please hold.

PETER:
What's up?

SUZANNE:
Wade's on 2.

Ed?

WADE [OVER SPEAKER]: Hello?

Ed, it's Billy.

Billy, what's up?

Look, I need a little help on defense.

Okay.

I'm willing to trade

Jeremy Giambi for it.

Really?

What?

Mm-hm. Who you got?

What?

Well, let me think.

What are you doing?

Cleaning house.

Mabry?

Maybe what?

No, Mabry.

Hold on.

No.

Why not?

Because you can't trade

Jeremy Giambi.

He'll be fine, Ed.

Why do I get the feeling

you're picking my pocket?

I'm not. You're picking mine.

Giambi's name alone is worth more.

What's wrong with him?

Nothing.

Can we say it's done in theory

and start drawing up the paperwork?

Okay, but you're gonna have--

Great.

He was gonna

say something else.

When you get the answer

you're looking for, hang up.

Suzanne.

SUZANNE:
Yes?

David Dombrowski.

SUZANNE:
Okay.

And Pena's going too.

I don't think you should do that.

I really don't think

you should do that.

I want Hatteberg

in the lineup tonight.

You need to take a minute.

I think you seriously need

to think about what you're doing.

Because you're upset.

Okay.

What am I missing?

These are hard moves

to explain to people.

Why is that a problem, Pete?

Don't make

an emotional decision, Billy.

SUZANNE:

David Dombrowski's on 3.

Look, we're gonna

shake things up.

Dave. Pena's going on the block.

You're my first call.

Because he's making the rest

of the team look bad.

He's gonna be

a Rookie of the Year.

Probably an All-Star.

He's an All-Star, Dave.

No. I want a reliever and cash.

Okay. You got five minutes, Dave.

I'm not waiting.

Billy, Pena is an All-Star, okay?

And if you dump him and this

Hatteberg thing doesn't work out,

you know this is--

This is the kind of decision

that gets you fired.

It is.

Yes, you're right.

I may lose my job.

In which case I'm a 44-year-old guy

with a high school diploma

and a daughter

I'd like to be able to send to college.

You're 25 years old,

with a degree from Yale

and a pretty impressive

apprenticeship.

I don't think

we're asking the right question.

I think the question

we should be asking is,

do you believe in this thing

or not?

I do.

It's a problem you think

we need to explain ourselves.

Don't. To anyone.

Okay.

Now, I'm gonna see this thing

through, for better or worse.

Just tell me, do you project we'll win

more with Hatteberg or Pena at first?

It's close...

but theoretically, Hatteberg.

What are we talking about, then?

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