Billy Beane, former A's GM who inspired 'Moneyball,' will speak at Erie MBA event in Erie
The Erie-based Manufacturer & Business Association's Annual Event has attracted some big-name speakers over the years, including presidents, a U.S. Secretary of State, Notre Dame Football Coach Lou Holtz, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a reality TV star and famed airline pilot "Sully" Sullenberger.
This year's keynote speaker has been credited by some with revolutionizing Major League Baseball.
Billy Beane, former general manager of the Oakland Athletics and subject of the book "Moneyball," will speak in Erie Oct. 9 at the MBA's Annual Event at Erie's Bayfront Convention Center.
Beane, now a senior adviser with the A's, was in and out of Major League lineups from 1987 through 1995. He became widely known with the 2003 publication of "Moneyball, The Art of Winning an Unfair Game" by Michael Lewis. A 2011 film by the same name, starring Brad Pitt as Beane, was nominated for an Academy Award.
As a leader of a small-market team, Beane was faced with the challenge of winning games without the benefit of a big budget.
That led him to reconsider what was most important in evaluating baseball talent.
The "Moneyball" approach to judging players relied less on evaluations by scouts and old-school statistics such as batting average and stolen bases. Instead, in an often-copied approach, Beane shifted his focus to newer measurements such as slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
According to the MBA, "Beane shattered traditional MLB beliefs that high payrolls equated wins by implementing a data-driven methodology that led the Oakland A’s, with one of the lowest payrolls, to 7 AL Western Division titles and 10 playoff appearances."
From last year: Hero on the Hudson: Capt. 'Sully' Sullenberger to speak at MBA event in Erie
Lori Joint, CEO of the MBA, thinks Beane's message will resonate with a business audience that's challenged with finding ways to use data and analytics to find a competitive edge.
“By striking parallels between baseball and business, we believe he will inspire our employers representing a myriad of industries with his unforgettable winning underdog story," she said.
From 2017: Lou Holtz to speak at MBA event
For tickets to the event or more information, visit: mbausa.org.
Contact Jim Martin at jmartin@timesnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: 'Moneyball' executive Billy Beane is speaker for MBA event
