Billy Beane was taken in the first round of the amateur draft.
I think this is a steal, to get Billy Beane.
He's young, he's talented.
A true five-tool player with speed.
This guy is a can't-miss prospect.
This is a great sign for the New York Mets.
And it could be the turnaround that they've been looking for.
Ball one.
I'll take Billy Beane over Strawberry.
Billy Beane, an interesting pick, turned down a scholarship.
He could've gone to Stanford.
Sometimes you don't find out till you get to the big leagues...
This guy has never failed at anything.
He's coming out of high school.
Billy was gonna go to college.
He could've been a great quarterback.
Strike three.
There's not an organization in baseball
who would not have taken a chance on this young guy.
He didn't pan out.
That happens every year. Some do, some don't.
I mean, if you're having any doubt at all about this...
Having the scholarship...
Your son was born with a God-given ability.
Few scouts can go into the mind of a young man and determine whether he's really confident about what he can do.
A very special player.
So you can sign him based on his ability,
but then he's gotta be successful to be confident.
And once he becomes confident, that's when you've got something.
You make a decision on What You See.
And if things don't pan out, you move on.
That's Baseball.
Many are Called, Few are Chosen.
Billy, that is Kevin Youkilis.
That is the Greek God of Walks. That's My Hero.
That man gets walked more than anybody in baseball except for Barry Bonds.
I tried to convince Shapiro to pick him up last June,
but he said he waddled like a duck.
Billy Beane :
Yeah, Boston snagged him.
I think they wanna wait and see.
Are you okay, Billy?
Grady, Head Scout :
Billy? Can we talk?
Billy Beane :
Yeah. Yeah.
You're unhappy, Grady. Why?
Grady, Head Scout :
May I speak candidly?
Billy Beane :
Sure, go ahead.
Grady, Head Scout :
Major League Baseball and its fans,
they're gonna be more than happy
to throw you and Google Boy under The Bus
if you keep doing What You're Doing.
You don't put a team together with a computer.
Billy Beane :
No?
Grady, Head Scout :
No. Baseball isn't just numbers.
It's not science.
If it was, anybody could do
what we're doing,
but they can't.
They don't know What We Know.
They don't have Our Experience
and Our Intuition.
Okay. You got a kid in there that's got a Degree in Economics from Yale.
You got a scout here with 29 years of Baseball Experience.
You're listening to the wrong one.
Now, there are intangibles that only baseball people understand.
You're discounting what scouts have done for 150 years? Even yourself?
Billy Beane :
Adapt or Die.
Grady, Head Scout :
This is about You and Your Shit, isn't it?
Twenty years ago, some scout got it wrong.
Billy Beane :
Okay. Okay.
Grady, Head Scout :
Now you declare
War on The System.
Billy Beane :
Okay, okay,
My Turn :
You don't have a crystal ball.
You can't look at a kid
and predict his future
any more than I can.
I've sat at those kitchen tables with you,
and listened to you tell parents,
"When I know, I know.
And when it comes to your son, I know."
And You Don't.
You Don't.
Grady, Head Scout :
Okay. I don't give a shit about Friendship,
This Situation, or The Past —
Major League Baseball thinks The Way I Think : --
You're not gonna win.
And I'll give you a nickel's worth of free advice.
You're never gonna get another job after this catastrophic season
you're about to set us all up for.
You'll have to explain to Your Kid
why you're working at Dick's Sporting Goods.
Billy Beane :
I'm not gonna fire you, Grady.
Grady, Head Scout :
Fuck you, Billy.
( pushes him )
Billy Beane :
Now I will.
Good luck, Art.
Kubota. You never played ball, right?
I played a little T-ball.
You're the new Head Scout.
Congratulations.
