Today in 2002, the Oakland Athletics played their first game of the Moneyball season.
Synopsis
Moneyball is a sports drama that follows the true story of Oakland Athletics' general manager Billy Beane (played by Brad Pitt) as he attempts to assemble a competitive baseball team on a limited budget. Faced with the financial constraints of a small-market team, Beane teams up with Ivy League graduate Peter Brand (played by Jonah Hill) to use statistical analysis and unconventional methods to scout and recruit players. Despite skepticism from traditional baseball scouts and the team's manager, Art Howe (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman), Beane and Brand's innovative approach begins to show promising results.
Why Today?
April 1st, 2002, was the first game of the Oakland A's 2002 season, also being their home opener. Opening day is featured prominently in Moneyball, kicking off the season.
Moneyball is based on the book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, which chronicles the 2002 A's baseball season.