Computer
Paul DePodesta’s computer is the symbol of sabermetrics being used to changed the process of player construction of teams. The computer is viewed with a mixture of wary suspicion and comical dismissiveness by the older scouts steeped in the traditional ways of finding new players.
Chewing tobacco
Chewing tobacco, by contrast, is the symbol which unifies those older scouts who view the computer as both a threat and a thing to be laughed at. The wad of tobacco has the effect of transforming the faces of the older scouts and the spitting of the tobacco becomes an ever-present punctuation to commentary.
Walks
The statistical probability of a player drawing a walk—or base-on-balls—becomes symbolic for a player’s draft worthiness in a way that rejects the traditionalist view of batting average as the go-to stat for non-pitchers. Technically, it is on-base-percentage which becomes of greater value than batting average, but the primary difference between a high batting average and a higher on-base-percentage is the number of times a player walks. Since it is scoring runs that is the object of the game, getting on base by a walk has always tended to be undervalued relative to getting a hit. This a fundamental paradigm shift for using “moneyball” sabermetrics.
Clutch Hitting
The rare ability of a player to raise the level of the game during do-or-die situations in a way that makes him dependable when the game is on the line is the aspect of baseball that gave rise to Reggie Jackson’s nickname: Mr. October. The name derived from the apparent ability of Jackson to improve his stats during post-season play over the regular season. In reality, Jackson’s postseason stats are slightly higher than his regular season stats, but only to the level that is normal for all players when comparing a short schedule to a long schedule. Billy Beane profanely dismisses the very concept of the existence of clutch players, attributing any increase in the level of play to “luck” in a way that makes clutch hitting a symbol of the deeply ingrained belief in superstition and myth among players and managers.
Winning Streak/Playoff Loss
During the course of the regular season, the Oakland A’s set a league record with a twenty-game winning streak. This becomes the symbol of the success of “moneyball” to its supporters. The season comes to an ignoble ending in the playoffs against a Minnesota Twins universally regarded as lesser in every way, thereby ending the A’s season without making it to the World Series. This unexpected turn of events becomes the symbol of the failure of “moneyball” to its detractors.
