Sean Marshall officially headed to Cincy

[Captain Obvious]

Five words to describe "Moneyball":

Find market inefficiency, exploit it.

Or if you want less than five words:

Exploit market inefficiency.

Okay & they use the market inefficiencies to buy low, sell high. I don't see how you can say that Moneyball isn't about buying low, selling high. I mean in the book, he exploited the market, by getting Billy Koch's saves up, which allowed him to sell high. The whole idea he is doing is to sell high on guys, because he can't afford them and buy low on guys who are good, but the market isn't there for.

 

[X]

I've made every attempt to show those that make these prospects to be more than they are not. Most outside of Cub Nation agree. The majority isn't always right but it's pretty safe

Living in Ky, I know a shitload of Reds fans.

The majority of them hate the trade for the Reds...even if they can sign Marshall to an extension.

 

[Rice Cube]

Okay & they use the market inefficiencies to buy low, sell high. I don't see how you can say that Moneyball isn't about buying low, selling high. I mean in the book, he exploited the market, by getting Billy Koch's saves up, which allowed him to sell high. The whole idea he is doing is to sell high on guys, because he can't afford them and buy low on guys who are good, but the market isn't there for.

Now you're trying to argue semantics. "Moneyball" is specifically about exploiting a market inefficiency. "Buy low, sell high" is something all GMs try to do whether they are playing "Moneyball" or not. In the book, Billy Beane knew he could exploit advantages by accruing guys who had high OBPs and good FIPs. As you said, he could buy low/sell high on these guys because nobody else had identified the inefficiencies. When the other teams caught on, he could no longer sell high on certain free agents and he could no longer accumulate high OBP/good FIP guys at bargain basement prices because other teams could offer more. Now Beane (and the Cubs, similarly) have to identify other market inefficiencies to exploit. Beane because his team has no money until they are allowed to move to San Jose, and the Cubs to try to rebuild just a bit faster. Saying Moneyball is about buy high/sell low is inappropriately simplifying the philosophy. It's true that part of Moneyball is trying to buy good players low and selling them when their stock is highest, but that's true for any baseball team and any business, even those who don't play Moneyball.

 

[Captain Obvious]

Now you're trying to argue semantics. "Moneyball" is specifically about exploiting a market inefficiency. "Buy low, sell high" is something all GMs try to do whether they are playing "Moneyball" or not. In the book, Billy Beane knew he could exploit advantages by accruing guys who had high OBPs and good FIPs. As you said, he could buy low/sell high on these guys because nobody else had identified the inefficiencies. When the other teams caught on, he could no longer sell high on certain free agents and he could no longer accumulate high OBP/good FIP guys at bargain basement prices because other teams could offer more. Now Beane (and the Cubs, similarly) have to identify other market inefficiencies to exploit. Beane because his team has no money until they are allowed to move to San Jose, and the Cubs to try to rebuild just a bit faster. Saying Moneyball is about buy high/sell low is inappropriately simplifying the philosophy. It's true that part of Moneyball is trying to buy good players low and selling them when their stock is highest, but that's true for any baseball team and any business, even those who don't play Moneyball.

I don't believe that. Look at the Yankees(for a baseball team). They don't buy low, they buy high on players all the time. I see what you're saying & I agree that it should be that way, because it makes a lot of sense, but I don't think that that is how every team operates. I mean look at the Cubs, we bought high on Soriano, we tried to sell low on Z, but no one wanted him. Is it oversimplified? Absolutely, but that was my goal.

 

[Rice Cube]

The Yankees can afford to buy high and do so for the kinds of players that most teams would buy high on. They don't need to exploit market inefficiencies because A) they figured out what the A's were doing and B) their players already exemplify the market inefficiencies the A's tried to exploit, in that they have guys who are good pitchers (Sabathia) and good at getting on base. Your statement may be technically correct, but you can't oversimplify it like that.