Check out this collection of the best Moneyball quotes from the book and the movie to gain wisdom on baseball and life!
Moneyball is an American sports drama movie based on Michael Lewis’s 2003 book, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. Aside from the great storyline, its cast is packed with great names like Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill.
Moreover, Moneyball is all about baseball—America’s favorite pastime. In the movie, Billy Beane, played by Brad Pitt, and Peter Brand, played by Jonah Hill, are faced with a big challenge when they are tasked to build a great team from the ground up with their franchise’s limited budget.
As we go along with them in their journey, we learn more about the sport and gain insights into how we should approach life. Moneyball no doubt allows us to understand the value of confidence, determination, and the hunger to win.
To help you apply these lessons in your life, we’ve rounded up our favorite Moneyball quotes in this list. Read through to the end and find the ones that have the most significant impact on your worldview!
And don’t forget to check out these Field of Dreams quotes and The Sandlot quotes.
Best Moneyball Quotes
1. “We’re all told at some point in time that we can no longer play the children’s game. We just don’t know when that’s gonna be. Some of us are told at 18, some of us are told at 40, but we’re all told.” – Scout Barry
2. “It’s hard not to be romantic about baseball. This kind of thing, it’s fun for the fans. It sells tickets and hot dogs. Doesn’t mean anything.” – Billy Beane
3. “Okay, people who run ball clubs, they think in terms of buying players. Your goal shouldn’t be to buy players, your goal should be to buy wins, and in order to buy wins, you need to buy runs.” – Peter Brand
4. “It’s about getting things down to one number. Using the stats the way we read them, we’ll find value in players that no one else can see.” – Peter Brand
5. “If we win—on our budget with this team—we’ll change the game. And that’s what I want, I want it to mean something.” – Billy Beane
Famous Quotes From Moneyball
6. “And I hate losing—I hate it. I hate losing more than I even wanna win.” – Billy Beane
7. “Adapt or die.” – Billy Beane
8. “If he’s a good hitter, why doesn’t he hit good?” – Billy Beane
9. “I pay you to get on first, not get thrown out at second.” – Billy Beane
10. “When your enemy’s making mistakes, don’t interrupt him. Let him keep going. Say, ‘Thank you.’” – Billy Beane
Moneyball Quotes That’ll Take You Back to the Movie
11. “People are overlooked for a variety of biased reasons and perceived flaws: age, appearance, personality. Bill James and Mathematics cuts straight through that. Billy, of the 20,000 notable players for us to consider, I believe that there’s a championship team of 25 people that we can afford. Because everyone else in baseball undervalues them—like an island of misfit toys.” – Peter Brand
12. “I’m not paying you for the player you used to be. I’m playing you for the player you are right now. You’re smart, you get what we’re trying to do here. Make an example for the younger guys; be a leader. Can you do that?” – Billy Beane
13. “The problem we’re trying to solve is that there are rich teams and there are poor teams. Then there are 50 feet of garbage, and then there’s us. It’s an unfair game. And now we’ve been gutted. We’re like organ donors for the rich. Boston’s taken our kidneys, and Yankees have taken our hearts. And you guys just sit around talking the same old good body nonsense like we’re selling jeans.” – Billy Beane
14. “I know you are taking it in the teeth, but the first guy through the wall, he always gets bloody—always. This is threatening, not just a way of doing business. In their minds, it’s threatening the game. Really, what it’s threatening is their livelihood, their jobs. It’s threatening the way they do things. And every time that happens, whether it’s the government, a way of doing business, whatever, the people who are holding the reins—they have their hands on the switch. They go batshit crazy.” – John Henry
15. Grady Fuson: “Artie, who do you like?”
Scout Artie: “I like Perez. He’s got a classy swing; it’s a real clean stroke.”
Scout Barry: “He can’t hit a curveball.”
Scout Artie: “Yeah, there’s some work to be done, I’ll admit that.”
Scout Barry: “Yeah, there is.”
Scout Artie: “But he is noticeable.”
Matt Keough: “And an ugly girlfriend.”
Scout Barry: “What does that mean?”
Matt Keough: “Ugly girlfriend means no confidence.”
Moneyball Quotes From the Book
16. “Baseball has so much history and tradition. You can respect it, or you can exploit it for profit, but it’s still being made all over the place, all the time.” – Michael Lewis, Author
17. “If you challenge conventional wisdom, you will find ways to do things much better than they are currently done.” – Michael Lewis, Author
18. “The pleasure of rooting for Goliath is that you can expect to win. The pleasure of rooting for David is that, while you don’t know what to expect, you stand at least a chance of being inspired.” – Michael Lewis, Author
19. “People who won’t cry badly to win and to be seen to have won, enjoy a tactical advantage over people who don’t.” – Michael Lewis, Author
20. “‘Managers tend to pick a strategy that is the least likely to fail, rather than to pick a strategy that is most efficient,’ said Palmer. ‘The pain of looking bad is worse than the gain of making the best move.’” – Michael Lewis, Author
Which Moneyball Quotes Helped You Change How You View Life?
Many grow up watching hundreds of baseball games on television or on the field with their families and friends. However, have you ever considered what those players had to endure to be regarded as professional athletes?
In Moneyball, we get to see the behind-the-scenes of professional baseball. Billy Beane was determined to get his team on the field and was even more driven by his desire to win.
So, for him, it didn’t matter what they needed to do to get to the field and the base. He pushed his team beyond their limits because he knew that only by giving it your all could you get one step closer to success.
After all, reaching the top requires solid determination, unending resolve, and the confidence to face all your challenges head-on. This applies to both sports and life, which makes Moneyball such a relevant and timeless piece.
Whether you prefer reading the book or watching the movie, you’ll gain many morals you can live by. With that, we hope you were able to get an idea of why Moneyball is a must-watch and a must-read through this list of its best quotes!
