Batter Up!

Finally got around to seeing Moneyball. WOW! Definitely Oscar worthy.

Brad Pitt has not been one of my favorite actors, but with this performance I'm gonna have to change my mind. I guess he IS an actor after all. I'm truly impressed.

What I like about this movie:

The skillful adaptation; the movie is based on true events yet creates drama and suspense. The concept of creating a winning ball team based on statistics alone. WOW!

The relationship between Billy and his daughter. Her singing and playing the guitar not only developed the characters but was a lovely interlude that brought balance to the testosterone-heavy scenes.

Amazing performance by Brad Pitt, Philip Seymour-Hoffman and Jonah Hill.

Favorite Quotes:

BILLY BEANE: There are rich teams and there are poor teams, then there's fifty-feet of crap, and then there's us.

And this one:

BILLY BEANE: Would you rather get one shot in the head or five in the chest and bleed to death.

So now I'm thinking of my favorite baseball movies:

Field of Dreams
Bad News Bears
The Natural
Angels in the Outfield
Fever Pitch
The Babe
The Sandlot

And let's not forget the Seinfeld episode with Keith Hernandez and the JFK movie parody:

NEWMAN: June 14, 1987.... Mets Phillies. We're enjoying a beautiful afternoon
in the right field stands when a crucial Hernandez error to a five run Phillies
ninth. Cost the Mets the game.

KRAMER: Our day was ruined. There was a lot of people, you know, they were
waiting by the player's parking lot. Now we're coming down the ramp ... Newman was in front of me. Keith
was coming toward us, as he passes Newman turns and says, " Nice game pretty
boy.". Keith continued past us up the ramp.

NEWMAN: A second later, something happened that changed us in a deep and
profound way front that day forward.

ELAINE: What was it?

KRAMER: He spit on us.... and I screamed out, "I'm hit!"

NEWMAN: Then I turned and the spit ricochet of him and it hit me.

ELAINE: Wow! What a story.

JERRY: Unfortunately the immutable laws of physics contradict the whole premise
of your account. Allow me to reconstruct this if I may for Miss Benes as
I've heard this story a number of times.

JERRY: Newman, Kramer, if you'll indulge me. According to your story Keith
passes you and starts walking up the ramp then you say you were struck on
the right temple. The spit then proceeds to ricochet off the temple
striking Newman between the third and forth rib. The spit then cam off
the rib turned and hit Newman in the right wrist causing him to drop his
baseball cap. The spit then splashed off the wrist, Pauses In mid air
mind you- makes a left turn and lands on Newman's left thigh. That is one
magic luggie.

NEWMAN: Well that's the way it happened.

JERRY: What happened to your head when you got hit?

KRAMER: Well. uh, well my head went back and to the left

JERRY: Again

KRAMER: Back and to the left

JERRY: Back and to the left Back and to the left

ELAINE: So, what are you saying?

JERRY: I am saying that the spit could not have come from behind ... that there had to have been
a second spitter behind the bushes on the gravelly road. If the spitter was behind you as you claimed
that would have caused your head to pitch forward.

ELAINE: So the spit could have only come from the front and to the right.

JERRY: But that is not what they would have you believe.