Buck Showalter Dismisses 'Moneyball' as Fiction

Former MLB manager Buck Showalter blasts the 2011 movie "Moneyball" as a "farce," claiming it misrepresented the success of the Oakland A's.

Former New York Mets manager Buck Showalter has vehemently criticized the 2011 movie "Moneyball," labeling it a "farce" that misrepresented the Oakland A's' success in 2002.

Speaking on OutKick's "Don't @ Me With Dan Dakich," Showalter argued that the film, which chronicled the A's' use of sabermetrics to assemble a competitive team on a shoestring budget, failed to acknowledge the team's strong starting pitching.

Buck Showalter Dismisses 'Moneyball' as Fiction

"‘Moneyball’ was proven to be a farce," Showalter asserted. "People in the game know it was just a Hollywood thing; no one talks about the four starting pitchers they had. It was, you know, they embellished a lot of things to make it work, but most people in the game know it was complete fiction."

Showalter highlighted the performances of Barry Zito, Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Cory Lidle, who all made over 30 starts and contributed significantly to the A's' 103-win season and AL West title.

Buck Showalter Dismisses 'Moneyball' as Fiction

"That really wasn’t what happened out there, even the author has talked about it," Showalter continued. "So, when I hear somebody mention ‘Moneyball,’ it has a different connotation to people that are on the field. They always kind of roll their eyes and go, ‘Yeah, right.’ Nobody mentions Barry Zito and [Mark] Mulder and all those guys that were pitching for those guys."

Showalter also took issue with the film's portrayal of then-A's manager Art Howe, claiming he was unjustly portrayed as a hapless figurehead.

Buck Showalter Dismisses 'Moneyball' as Fiction

"They were a good team. You know what makes a good manager is good players, you have a good manager … I didn’t like the way they portrayed Art Howe there. Art was a good baseball man," Showalter said.

In addition to the four starting pitchers, Showalter mentioned other key factors that contributed to the A's' success in 2002, including the emergence of young players like Miguel Tejada and Scott Hatteberg, the team's strong defense, and the leadership of veteran players like Jason Giambi and Eric Byrnes.

Showalter's criticism of "Moneyball" reflects the skepticism that some baseball insiders have expressed about the film's portrayal of sabermetrics as a revolutionary approach that transformed the game. While sabermetrics has undoubtedly played a significant role in player evaluation and team strategy, Showalter argues that it is only one piece of the puzzle.

"I think sabermetrics is a good tool, but it's not a perfect tool," Showalter said. "You still have to have good players, you still have to have a good pitching staff, and you still have to have a good manager."

Despite its critical acclaim and popularity with audiences, "Moneyball" remains a polarizing film among baseball insiders, with some embracing its message of analytical innovation while others question its accuracy and its impact on the game.