MONEYBALL
Written by
Steven Zaillian & Aaron Sorkin
IN BLACK:
There will always be people who are ahead of
the curve, and people who are behind the curve.
But knowledge moves the curve.
- Bill James
1 INT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - NIGHT 1
Static shots: A deserted locker room. Empty showers.
Cinder-block tunnels lit with wire-encased lamps like in
a coal mine. THREE SECURITY GUARDS watch a game on a TV.
LEGEND: October 15, 2001
We begin to hear disembodied cheering crowds and the
faint voice of an announcer -
BRENNAMAN V/O
... nobody on, two and two to Saenz - who
has just three at bats in the series, and
none of them hits - as he settles back in
-
2 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM -NIGHT 2
At the end of a tunnel, the A's empty dugout. The empty
diamond. Just a couple of the floodlights are on.
BRENNAMAN V/O
- Rivera looks in for the sign, he has
it, the pitch, Saenz swings and -
The announcer's voice and excited crowd abruptly cut
off. In silence, we regard the 60,000 empty seats that
wrap around the playing field ... but then see that, in
fact, it's 59,999 empty seats. There's a lone figure
seated in one of them. The sound snaps back on:
STEVE LYONS V/O
- a ground out to second, Thom, is not
what the A's were looking for from Saenz -
down by two in the ninth -
The lone man in the stadium has a radio and a bag of
peanuts. He seems at peace as he looks down on the empty
diamond - a peace only slightly belied, perhaps, by the
baseball he absently turns in a hand. He switches the
radio back on -
BRENNAMAN V/O
Eric Byrnes has emerged from the dugout
to bat for Menechino -
2.
2.
He turns it off again. Calmly eats a peanut. Waits.
Switches the radio back on -
BRENNAMAN V/O
- the A's are down to their last strike
and this Yankee crowd is on its feet -
Rivera squints for the sign, he has it,
delivers and -
Again, at the crucial moment, he cuts the radio. Waits
just a few moments. Turns the radio back on -
BRENNAMAN V/O
It is bedlam in New York. The Yankees -
down two games to none - have come back
to win three, and the Division Series.
The outcome of the series seems to have no effect on
Billy. He simply gets up, switches off the radio, and
climbs the steps to leave. But somehow we still faintly
hear, as he comes past shuttered concession stands toward
an exit, the voice of one of the announcers -
STEVE LYONS V/O
This is an exceptional feat not only for
New York, Thom, but for Oakland - though
not the kind you can be proud of: Only
once before has a team lost a Division
Series after winning the first two games -
3 INT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - NIGHT 3
It's coming from a small television a night security
guard is watching. But when he sees Billy approaching,
he quickly shuts it off.
BILLY
It's okay, Joe, you can leave it on.
It's no big deal.
SECURITY GUARD
No, it's okay, I don't need to watch it.
The guard's eyes consider the baseball Billy absently
turns in his hands -
BILLY
How's Meg?
SECURITY GUARD
She's good, thanks.
- and the glass window of the bar behind him -
3.
3.
BILLY
And the boys?
SECURITY GUARD
They're good. Everybody's good.
BILLY
That's good.
The security guard waits for the baseball to sail through
the glass, but it doesn't happen.
BILLY
Night.
SECURITY GUARD
Night, Billy. It was a great season.
4 EXT. COLISEUM - PARKING LOT - MOMENTS LATER - NIGHT 4
A lone car sits in the parking lot in front of the
Coliseum. We HEAR-
TARA V/O
They had three times your payroll, Billy.
BILLY
Yeah...
TARA V/O
You're not watching them celebrate,
right?
Car's off. Billy sits in the dark on his phone.
BILLY
No. That would be, uh--
TARA V/O
Pointless? Self-destructive? Masochistic?
BILLY
Are you asking me to pick one?
TARA V/O
What you should be doing is thinking
about what an amazing job you did and how
great you are.
BILLY
I'll be honest, right this minute I'm not
thinking about either of those things.
4.
4.
TARA V/O
You take a team with that payroll to the
playoffs? You take the Yankees to a fifth
game? I'm not even sure the better team
won.
BILLY
They were down two-love and then beat us
three in a row. Trust me, the better team
won.
BILLY presses a button on his portable radio and is hit
with sound of sports talk radio--
CALLER V/O
--while embarrassing the entire city and
making a mockery of their fans. I'm sick
of this.
TARA V/O
Let's go away.
BILLY
That sounds good.
CUT TO WHAT BILLY'S BEEN LOOKING AT THIS WHOLE TIME -
Three enormous looming likenesses of the Oakland A's
premiere players on floodlit banners--Jason Giambi,
Johnny Damon, Jason Isringhausen.
TARA V/O
Someplace they don't have a baseball
team.
BILLY
How about Oakland?
TARA V/O
Okay, here are the rules for tonight. You
can do anything you want but you can't
give any quotes to the press, go on the
internet or hurt my car, we have a deal?
BILLY
Yeah.
TARA V/O
They had three times your payroll, Billy.
From the radio we've been hearing shards of "--an
unprecedented choke--", "--get rid of Billy Beane--", "--
Billy Beane knows nothing about baseball--".
5.
5.
BILLY
Yeah.
TARA V/O
How about Hawaii? I'll make a
reservation someplace. The place with
the turtles.
Billy gets out of the car.
BILLY
Great. I'm on my way.
Billy chucks the radio away. Gets back in the car, puts
it in gear. HARD CUT TO --
5 INT. OAKLAND AIRPORT TERMINAL - DAY 5
Blur of shapes and colors as we move through a crush of
travelers to a Hawaiian Airlines counter where Billy and
Tara check luggage. Billy's got a cell phone to his ear.
BILLY
Is it Boston? You're talking to Boston?
What are they offering?
BORAS (ON PHONE)
What does it matter to you?
BILLY
What?!
BORAS V/O
I mean -- what does it matter since
whatever it is you can't afford it.
BILLY
You don't know that.
BORAS V/O
I don't?
TICKET CLERK
You need to hurry.
BILLY
I don't know that -- since I don't know
what they're offering.
(TO TARA)
What did she say?
TARA
She said we had to hurry up.
6.
6.
BILLY
Scott? Scott?
The call's been disconnected. CUT TO: Another corridor,
as Billy and Tara head toward security. Billy on the
phone with Boras, continuing where they left off --
BILLY
What did they offer?
BORAS V/O
They offered seven and a quarter.
BILLY
Just to be clear -- they offered seven
and a quarter.
BORAS V/O
Yes.
BILLY
As opposed to you said seven and a
quarter and they're thinking about it.
BORAS V/O
No, they offered seven and a quarter and
I'm thinking about it.
(nothing from Billy)
And you're thinking -- what.
BILLY
I'm thinking I don't want to lose Damon,
but I don't pay my whole infield seven
million dollars.
TARA
We're losing Damon?
BORAS V/O
For seven and a half, Billy, you can keep
Johnny Damon and we can be done thinking.
I have to go, my plane is boarding.
BILLY
Wait, don't hang up. Don't hang up --
Billy drops the phone in a plastic container, steps
through the metal detector like it's a stick-up, grabs
the phone again.
TSA OFFICER 1
Is that phone still on?
BILLY
What's the difference?
7.
7.
TSA OFFICER 1
Faradie. Can his phone be on?
TSA OFFICER 2
Sir, you need to turn your phone off.
BILLY
It's already through.
Billy grabs his phone from the other side.
BILLY
Seven point five?
BORAS V/O
Seven point five.
BILLY
I'll talk to Steve.
BORAS V/O
Talk to Steve.
Boras hangs up.
TARA
Try to relax.
BILLY
(hitting speed dial
on another number)
A small emergency is starting to develop.
TARA
Try. Try to relax.
BILLY
You look fantastic today.
ARN V/O
Hello?
BILLY
Arn. Billy. We gotta talk about Giambi.
TARA
Wait, we're losing Giambi, too?
ARN V/O
I can't talk about that now. I can't
talk about anything now.
BILLY
We can talk now. We're talking now.
8.
8.
ARN V/O
We can't talk now. I'm at a family
thing. I'll call you Monday.
BILLY
Who are you talking to -- the Yankees?
ARN V/O
I'm talking to everybody. But not today.
I'm not in today. I'm hanging up.
BILLY
Don't hang up.
(OFF PHONE)
He hung up.
TARA
You found Giambi.
Billy dials another number --
TARA
A thousand dollars says you don't get on
the plane.
SECRETARY V/O
Arn Tellem's office.
BILLY
Denise. Billy.
(TO TARA)
These guys are auctioning off my team one
player at a time.
SECRETARY V/O
(OVERLAPPING)
He's not in today, Billy.
BILLY
I know, I just want to send him flowers.
SECRETARY V/O
Flowers?
TARA
Flowers?
BILLY
Where would I send them?
SECRETARY V/O
To who?
BILLY
To Arn.
9.
9.
SECRETARY V/O
You want to send him flowers?
TARA
(OVERLAPPING)
You're not going to be anywhere near
Hawaii.
BILLY
To where he is now, yes.
SECRETARY V/O
Beth Israel Temple, Beverly Hills.
TARA
The airport is as close as you got.
BILLY
(INTO PHONE)
Thank you, Tara.
SECRETARY V/O
Denise.
TARA
I'm Tara.
BILLY
I know. I need a day.
TARA
BILLY --
BILLY
One day. I'll fly out tomorrow.
TARA
It's gonna be more than one day.
(PAUSE)
We're losing Isringhausen too?
BILLY
Only if my luck stays exactly the same.
TARA
It's like the bell rang but you're still
getting hit in the head.
(hands him tickets)
Just in case.
BILLY
I'm sorry. Have fun out there.
10.
10.
TARA
I'm picking up a guy at the breakfast
buffet.
BILLY
A left-handed reliever if you can.
6 OMITTED 6
7 INT. SINAI TEMPLE - BRENTWOOD - LATER - DAY 7
The ceremony is in progress as Billy arrives, plucks a
yarmulke from a basket, sets it on his head and finds a
place in the back row for himself and his carry-on.
He listens to the boy's monotone-reading of verses. He
fidgets. Taps his foot. Checks his watch. Turns to the
person down the row and whispers --
BILLY
How much longer you think?
GUEST
What?
BILLY
Nah, it's okay.
8 INT. TEMPLE LOBBY - LATER - DAY 8
As attendees exit the ceremony and enter the adjacent
banquet hall, Billy has cornered Arn Tellem, picking up
right where he left off three hours ago in Oakland on the
PHONE --
BILLY
Arn, I don't wanna lose him.
ARN
BILLY --
BILLY
I don't wanna lose him.
ARN
This is my nephew's Bar Mitzvah.
BILLY
He did well with his Torah portion I
thought.
ARN
Thank you.
11.
11.
BILLY
What did they offer?
ARN
He's not staying in Oakland, Billy.
BILLY
What did the Yankees offer him?
ARN
It's New York; you've got to give a
player a reason not to play there.
BILLY
What did they offer?
ARN
17 million.
BILLY
No way.
ARN
Yeah.
BILLY
I don't pay my whole infield 17 million
dollars.
ARN
I know, I know...
BILLY
For how long?
ARN
17 a year for seven years.
Billy stares, completely nonplussed...
BILLY
A hundred and twenty million dollars?
ARN
Hundred and nineteen.
(BEAT)
You gotta get Steve to let you spend some
money.
BILLY
That's pretty good advice, I should do
that.
12.
12.
ARN
Steve doesn't get it. This isn't a
charity raffle.
BILLY
Arn. I get it, he gets it, Jason gets it
and you certainly get it. I'll talk to
him.
ARN
And you're losing Isringhausen, too.
BILLY
Ya think?
ARN
I've gotta get back.
BILLY
Hey mazel tov, Arn.
ARN
Thank you. Good luck.
Arn walks away. Billy looks to his right to see a 12 year
old kid standing right next to him.
KID
Are you Billy Beane?
BILLY
Yes.
KID
That was a pretty serious choke.
BILLY
Are you from around here?
KID
Yeah.
BILLY
You a Dodger fan?
KID
Yeah.
Billy hands the kid his scotch --
BILLY
Here, drink a lot of this.
-- and walks away.
13.
13.
9 INT. OFFICE - SAN BRUNO - LATER - DAY 9
Billy tries, but is having trouble sitting still as he
talks with Steve Schott - the A's owner - around 60 - a
college player way back when. He's a successful home
builder now. Models of developments lie around.
BILLY
We're losing Damon and Giambi. We can't
survive losing Damon and Giambi.
SCHOTT
Isringhausen's gone, too, don't you
think?
BILLY
I can win without a closer. I can't
without power.
SCHOTT
So negotiate with them.
BILLY
I have. They want more.
SCHOTT
So offer them a little more.
BILLY
I have. They want more than a little
more.
SCHOTT
Like what. What'll it cost - say - to
keep Giambi?
BILLY
17.
SCHOTT
17 for how many (years) -
BILLY
One.
SCHOTT
For one year?
Billy nods. Steve smiles. And Billy knows what it
means. It means, That makes it easy - there's nothing
more to discuss on the matter.
SCHOTT
I have confidence you'll find a way to
make it work without them.
14.
14.
BILLY
I can't.
SCHOTT
Sure you can.
BILLY
STEVE -
SCHOTT
Billy. What are we? The Taj Mahal?
We're a small-market team. Obviously, we
can't afford Giambi at such a (price) -
BILLY
Fine. He's gone. But I might - for a
bit more than last year - be able to keep
Damon in (Oakland) -
(Steve is shaking his
HEAD NO)
I need more money, Steve.
SCHOTT
Billy...
BILLY
I can't compete against a hundred and
twenty million dollar payroll with a
forty million dollar payroll.
SCHOTT
We just won 102 games with a forty
million dollar payroll.
BILLY
With Giambi and Damon. We wouldn't have
without them.
Silence. Then -
BILLY
You can't ask me to be okay with losing.
That's too much to ask a professional
athlete.
SCHOTT
BILLY--
BILLY
It's too much, Steve!
SCHOTT
You're not a professional athlete!
(BEAT)
You're a professional GM.
(MORE)
15.
15.
SCHOTT (CONT'D)
We're a small market team. You're a small
market GM. And I'm asking you to be okay
with not spending money I don't have. And
I'm asking you to take a breath and shake
off the loss. And then I'm asking you to
get back in a room with your people and
figure out how you're going to replace
these guys with the money I do have.
(BEAT)
Got it?
SCHOTT can go from milquetoast to ruthless in a blink and
he just did.
10 INT. BILLY'S TRUCK - MOVING - LATER - DAY 10
Billy's on his cell again as he crosses the Bay Bridge.
BILLY
Scott. Billy.
BORAS V/O
What was that beep?
BILLY
It's just my phone, it's about to
die, but this'll be quick - listen -
I'm losing my favorite prospects,
but I got you the seven point five.
BORAS V/O
That's great. I'll get right back to
(YOU) -
BILLY
No. No, you won't. I got it for you and
we're done. Damon stays in Oakland.
BORAS V/O
Billy - I have to talk to Johnny -
obviously. It's my fiduciary (duty) -
BILLY
Whose number is that - seven point five.
Mine?
BORAS V/O
No, it's mine -
BILLY
It's yours. So make your call, but don't
play me, Scott. We have a deal. I won't
be a stalking horse. The word stays in
the - dictionary.
16.
16.
11 INT. BILLY'S HOUSE - DANVILLE - LATER - DAY 11
The door pushes open and Billy comes in after his very
long day. He sets his carry-on bag down. Takes out his
dead cell phone and plugs it into a charger. Calls Tara
on the land line.
BILLY
Sorry, hon. I'm gonna need another day.
TARA (V.O.)
Take your time, do your thing. There are
a lot of cute guys here.
BILLY
You've got my suitcase?
TARA (V.O.)
No, the airline sent it to Prague.
BILLY
(PAUSE)
Why?
TARA (V.O.)
Well, we left out of Oakland, honey...
and I think the baggage handlers knew it
was yours.
BILLY
(beat, can this get
any worse?)
Okay.
Billy's cell phone rings --
BILLY
I gotta take this.
TARA (V.O.)
Wish you weren't insane. Miss you.
She hangs up. Billy hangs up and switches to his cell --
BILLY
Yeah.
BORAS (V.O.)
Billy. Scott. I just got off the phone
with Dan.
BILLY
No, you didn't.
17.
17.
BORAS (V.O.)
Yeah, I was surprised he even called me.
Because he had said --
BILLY
No, I have Johnny for seven-point-five or
he's not playing anywhere, because that's
the deal --
BORAS (V.O.)
Boston just upped it to seven-seven-five.
Billy's hand is already in motion to smash the phone,
but in a herculean feat of self disciple, he manages to
restrain himself before impact.
BORAS (V.O.)
You there?
BILLY
We had a deal.
BORAS (V.O.)
We have a deal. If it's eight million.
BILLY
Why am I the ugliest girl at the dance,
Scott? Why do I get the feeling I'm
always gonna be a quarter million short?
BORAS (V.O.)
I'm just doing my job for my client.
That's all I'm doing.
BILLY
No, you played me. And you're playing me
now. Congratulations, asshole. You win.
Billy hangs up on him.
CUT TO:
12-14 OMITTED 12-14
15 INT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - SCOUTING ROOM - PRESENT DAY 15
Billy and his scouting department - ten men older than
him - all former players and tobacco chewers still, each
with his own can of Copenhagen and wastebasket - sitting
around a large underground cinder block "war room" whose
most extravagant appointment is a Mr. Coffee.
Two large white-boards dominate a wall, covered with
magnetic strips with players' names on them.
18.
18.
On the left board - every player in the A's organization.
On the other, even larger board - every player that may
be of interest to them from the other organizations.
It's the most complex chess board you will ever see.
But what can be easily discerned are the obvious holes in
the A's team - the star players they are about to lose -
their names set apart from the positions they're
vacating: Jason Giambi (1B), Johnny Damon (CF), Jason
Isringhausen (RP).
GRADY
Alright, guys... we had a great year. We
won 102 games and we only came a buck
short in New York. Now the bad news...
we've got three big holes to fill.
(THEN)
Let's start with who we like for Giambi.
We'll go around the room. Who you like,
Matty?
KEOUGH
I like Geronimo.
(approval from the
OTHER SCOUTS)
Guy's an athlete. This guy is big, fast
and talented.
GEORGE
Six foot four.
PITTARO
Top of my list.
POTE
Clean cut, good face.
ARTIE
Good jaw. He's the real deal.
GEORGE
Five tools, good lookin'.
BILLY
Can he hit?
KEOUGH
He's a tools guy.
BILLY
Can he hit?
KEOUGH
He's got a great swing. Natural swing.
19.
19.
BILLY
So you're saying he can't hit.
KEOUGH
He can hit.
BARRY
The ball explodes off his bat.
ARTIE
It's exciting. When he hits it sounds
like he's droppin' a firecracker at his
feet.
PITTARO
Down in the pisser you can hear that
sound.
BARRY
Sounds like Mays, Mantle, Aaron...
BILLY
That's not what I asked. I asked can he
hit.
KEOUGH
He's a good hitter.
BILLY
If he's a good hitter, why doesn't he hit
good?
KEOUGH
He needs a little work. He'll be able to
hit. He could be a great hitter.
BILLY
Right... we put him up against big league
competition and suddenly he'll be able to
hit.
Grady moves on --
GRADY
Artie, who do we like?
Billy backs off, incredulous as the scouts prattle on --
ARTIE
I like Perez. He swings like a man.
KEOUGH
He swings like a man who swings at too
much.
20.
20.
ARTIE
There's some work needs to be done. I
admit it. He needs to be reworked a
little. But he's noticeable.
GRADY
He's notable?
ARTIE
No, he's noticeable. You notice him.
KEOGH
He's got an ugly girlfriend.
BARRY
What's that mean?
KEOGH
Ugly girlfriend means no confidence.
BARRY
Alright. That's true.
PITTARO
I agree with Art. I like the way he
walks into a room. Kid's so confident
his dick gets there two minutes before he
does.
GEORGE
Passes the eye candy test. He's got the
looks, he's ready to play the part. He
just needs some playing time.
KEOUGH
I'm just saying, his girlfriend's a 6.
BARRY
Billy, if you want to talk about another
Giambi, this guy could be it.
Enough. Billy raises a book above the table, drops it
with a dull THUD... STOPPING TRAFFIC.
GRADY
Is that a suggestion, Billy?
BILLY
Guys, stop. You're talking like this is
business as usual. It's not.
GRADY
We're trying to solve the problem.
21.
21.
BILLY
Not like this. You're not even looking
at the problem.
GRADY
We not only have a very clear
understanding of the problem we now face,
but everyone in this room has faced
similar problems countless times before.
BILLY
Good. What's the problem?
GRADY
The problem is that we've lost 3 key
players that we now have to replace.
BILLY
Uh-uh. What's the problem?
PITTARO
The problem is the same as it always is;
we've got to put a team together with
what we've got.
BILLY
Uh-uh. What's the problem?
BARRY
We've got 38 home runs to replace, 120
rbi's, 47 doubles...
BILLY
Okay, stop. The problem we're trying to
solve is that this is an unfair game.
There are rich teams, poor teams, 50 feet
of crap and then there's us. And now
we've been gutted. We're organ donors to
the rich. The Red Sox took our kidneys
and the Yankees took our heart. And now
I'm listening to the same old shit about
having a good body and being a tools guy
like you're looking for Fabio. Is there
another first baseman like Giambi?
(BEAT)
Is there?
Everyone mumbles "no."
BILLY
Then stop looking for one because what
we'll surely wind up with is the
McNuggets version of Giambi.
22.
22.
GRADY
Look, we're gonna find 25 guys, put `em
through player development, teach `em how
to play Oakland A baseball. This is no
time to push the panic button. This is
the way we've been doing it for 150
years. Let us do our job.
BILLY
If we try to play like the Yankees in
here, we're not going to be able to play
with them out there.
GRADY
That's fortune cookie wisdom.
BILLY
No, it's just regular wisdom.
POTE
Who's Fabio?
GRADY
Okay, Billy. Clearly you have something
on your mind.
BILLY
Bill James.
ARTIE
You're not serious?
PITTARO
We're not playing fantasy baseball,
Billy.
BARRY
Those aren't new ideas, they disproved
that years ago.
GRADY
Bill James was a night security guard at
the Stokely Van Camp Pork and Beans
Factory.
BILLY
He thinks differently than anyone in
baseball.
GRADY
He's not in baseball. He's in pork and
beans.
23.
23.
BILLY
Don't attack the man, attack the
argument.
PITTARO
(to the room)
I think he just won the argument.
Chuckles.
BILLY
What if we've been wrong this whole time
about what ingredients manufacture a win?
What if this whole time we thought it was
the chicken that made the chicken soup
taste good when really it was the onions
that made the chicken soup taste good?
Onions are a lot cheaper than chicken,
you see what I'm saying?
POTE
I don't have the first idea what you're
saying.
BILLY
We gotta start over. We gotta rethink
this thing. We gotta look where others
aren't looking.
GRADY
With all due respect, we've been doing
this for a long time.
BILLY
That doesn't mean you're doing it right.
Do you watch nature docs? You know what
happens to the runt of the litter? He
dies. I'm open to any solution, as long
as it's not what the other guys are
doing.
(THEN)
Now, I'm going to Cleveland to poach an
outfielder named Brandon Garcia --
TBD SCOUT
Hold on -- You're going to Cleveland for
a double-A guy?
GRADY
Billy, I've seen Garcia. He's got a bad
body. It's not a pretty sight.
PITTARO
Kid wears a large pair of underwear.
24.
24.
KEOGH
That is a big boy.
GRADY
He's not just big, but kind of doughy. A
fleshy kind of body.
BILLY
Oh, you mean like Babe Ruth.
SCOUTS (UNISON)
He's no Babe Ruth.
PITTARO
When he walks, Billy, his thighs stick
together. There's enough friction there
to start a bonfire.
KEOGH
If you saw him, I'm telling you, you
wouldn't want to go to Cleveland.
BARRY
Billy, can I make a suggestion? If you
could get Ricardo Rincon... he'd be worth
the trip to Cleveland.
GEORGE
That would solve our left handed reliever
problem.
Unanimous approval from the scouts --
BILLY
Really?
SCOUTS (UNISON)
Yeah.
BILLY
I should get Rincon?
SCOUTS (UNISON)
Definitely.
BILLY
Okay. I'll also come back with Joe
DiMaggio and Ty Cobb. And who would like
a Faberg� egg? Guys, you aren't hearing
me -- in what universe can we afford
Rincon?
(THEN)
I'm asking you guys to look at this game
differently than you've ever looked at it
before. I'm going to Cleveland.
(MORE)
25.
25.
BILLY (CONT'D)
And when I come back, I want you to tell
me something I don't already know. I
want to question everything. We've got
to rethink this game.
As he exits --
BILLY
And Grady? Nobody cares about a 102 win
season.
Billy storms out.
KEOUGH
What's a Faberg� egg?
A16 EXT. HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL FIELD - DAY - FLASHBACK - 1980 A16
CRACK! A ball sails well over the heads of the SCOUTS in
the outfield who are shagging the batting practice flies.
The KIDS in the parking lot have seen Billy play before
and so know just how far back to stand in order to shag a
ball.
BILLY's at the plate, crushing pitches from a pitching
machine.
CRACK!--he sends another one sailing over the heads of
the cluster of scouts.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
BILLY, tanned and glistening with sweat, looks over to
see THREE GIRLS watching him from behind the backstop.
They're looking at him like he's Elvis and BILLY tries to
nonchalant it but can't help a small smile to himself
BEFORE--
CRACK!
CRACK! CRACK!
SABATINI
This is the guy.
MARTINEZ
He's got a great path. I love the
extension in his swing and the backspin
he creates.
SABATINI
That's some amazing power right there,
huh?
26.
26.
MARTINEZ
Good approach, great balance. How's he
compare to the others around the country?
SABATINI
He's number one. Let's just hope he's
still there when we pick.
MARTINEZ
This guy'll go in the first round.
CUT TO:
B16 EXT. HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL FIELD - DAY - 1980 B16
The scouts put the players through their paces --
sprinting, fielding...
CUT TO:
C16 EXT. DUGOUT STEPS - DAY - 1980 C16
SABATINI and MARTINEZ are talking to BILLY, who's
toweling off and is still a little aware of all the
people who are standing nearby to watch the birth of a
star.
SABATINI
Billy. I'm Sabatini, Area Scout, New
York Mets. Can we get a couple minutes
of your time, find out more about you?
BILLY
Of course.
SABATINI
I'd like to introduce you to Tom
Martinez.
MARTINEZ
Very impressive performance today. In my
job as the national cross-checker for the
New York Mets, I see the top 200 players
in the United States. It's been a while
since I've seen a five tools guy, the
complete package. Your throwing ability,
your fielding skills... Ed told me you had
power but I had no idea it was of the
light tower variety. I hope you're as
interested in professional baseball as we
are in acquiring you in the upcoming
draft.
27.
27.
BILLY
Well, sir, I'd need to talk it out with
my parents, decide if baseball is
something I want to do full time. I have
a scholarship to play football at
Stanford.
MARTINEZ
Well, Billy, we're certainly looking
forward to meeting your folks and talking
to them as well. And we believe in
college, but that's something you can do
in the winter months. You need to know
the sky's the limit with your ability.
You could be a superstar before you've
even graduated. But to get to that
level, you need to work with our people.
Pro-ball is where you need to be to
develop the skills God gave you.
CUT TO:
16 INT. RECEPTION - INDIANS CORPORATE OFFICES - DAY 16
Unlike the A's, this is a franchise that can spend
actual money on players, and on nice lobby furniture,
which is where Billy sits, staring at a classic baseball
photo that hangs in the lobby.
ASSISTANT
Mr. Beane? Mark's ready to see you now.
17 OMITTED 17
18 INT. MARK SHAPIRO'S OFFICE - CLEVELAND - DAY 18
Billy's counterpart in Cleveland--Indians General Manager
MARK SHAPIRO--35 and about three weeks into the job--sits
behind his desk in a tie and shirt sleeves like Billy.
Joining them in the room are FOUR OTHERS, including PETER
BRAND.
SHAPIRO
So Billy, what are you looking for?
BILLY
50 million in additional payroll.
SHAPIRO
Try Giambi.
BILLY
Ouch.
28.
28.
SHAPIRO
120 million.
BILLY
I should've been a hitter.
SHAPIRO
Where's Steve in all this?
BILLY
Supportive. Excited about rebuilding the
team.
SHAPIRO
Bonds is available.
BILLY
Yeah, how do I afford the rest of the
field?
SHAPIRO
So what are you looking for? I want to
help out.
BILLY
I guess you've touched the bottom of the
sports industry when your opponent is
OFFERING YOU--
SHAPIRO
BILLY--
BILLY
I need a lefty reliever and I want
Ricardo Rincon.
SHAPIRO
Not going to happen.
BILLY
Not even a discussion?
SHAPIRO
Come on Billy, even if you could afford
him we're not about to let him go.
BILLY
Why's that? You've got the Venezuelan
kid in North Carolina you're bringing up.
SHAPIRO
We dished him to Detroit. Keep up.
BILLY
Well there goes my other idea.
29.
29.
SHAPIRO
What else you thinking Billy?
BILLY
You have any outfielders I should be
looking at?
SHAPIRO
To replace Damon?
BILLY
Yeah.
SHAPIRO
That's a tough one Billy.
BILLY
Yeah. Who do you got?
SHAPIRO
The guys you might be able to afford?
Hollins, Garcia... Coste.
BILLY
Tell me about Garcia.
SHAPIRO
To replace Damon?!
BILLY
Is he healthy?
SHAPIRO
He had a back thing, some minor surgery,
but he's okay. Petey?
PETEY
He'll be good by Spring Training.
BILLY
He'll do. I can give you Guthrie for him
if you kick in some cash.
SHAPIRO
Mark Guthrie?
As Shapiro and gang review Guthrie's stats, Billy notices
Peter whispering to the guy next to him.
Shapiro looks around the room at the guys who don't
object.
SHAPIRO
How much are you thinking?
30.
30.
BILLY
200 K.
BRUCE approaches Shapiro and whispers and steps away.
SHAPIRO
Sorry about that. So... Garcia is going
to be a no. What else are you thinking
about?
BILLY
Let's make it work, I'll go straight up
with you, Garcia for Guthrie, no kicker.
Shapiro looks to Bruce, Peter is covering his mouth with
his hand but we can just barely hear him whisper the word
'no'. Bruce subtly shakes his head to Mark.
SHAPIRO
Sorry Billy, who else you interested in?
19 INT. INDIANS CORPORATE OFFICES - DAY 19
Peter sits at his cubicle absorbed in his computer until
he notices Billy hovering over him.
BILLY
Hey.
PETER
Hi.
BILLY
Who are you?
PETER
My name is Peter Brand.
BILLY
What do you do?
PETER
I'm special assistant to Mark Shapiro.
BILLY
So what do you do?
(pointing at co-
WORKER)
Hey, mind your own business.
(HE DOES)
What do you do?
PETER
Mostly player evaluation right now.
31.
31.
BILLY
Why does Mark listen to you?
PETER
Actually he rarely does.
BILLY
He just did.
PETER
I don't think he was really listening to
me in there per se.
BILLY
Really?
PETER
Yeah, I think he was listening to Bruce.
BILLY
Who are you?
PETER
Peter Brand.
BILLY
I don't give a rat's ass about your name.
Nothing from Peter.
BILLY
What happened in there?
PETER
I'm not sure what you're asking me.
BILLY
What did you tell Butch?
PETER
Huh? Oh Bruce? I told him I like
Garcia.
BILLY
(BEAT)
Why?
PETER
(BEAT)
Probably for the same reasons you do.
BILLY
Meaning what?
32.
32.
PETER
He's undervalued. You were smart to go
after him.
BILLY
(LONG BEAT)
What makes him undervalued?
Peter is stuck. He can't bring himself to say anything.
After a long beat Billy nods to him in a way that seems
to say, `I understand, it's okay'.
BILLY
Come on.
Billy makes a strong gesture indicating Peter to follow.
Which he does. They exit the offices into
20 INT. A VAST PARKING STRUCTURE - CONTINUOUS 20
BILLY
Where you from Peter?
PETER
Maryland.
BILLY
Where did you go to school?
PETER
Yale.
BILLY
I hate Yale.
PETER
Why?
BILLY
Kid from Yale once blocked a trade I was
trying to make. What'd you study?
PETER
Economics.
BILLY
What are you doing in baseball?
PETER
I love baseball.
BILLY
I'm just curious. Why were you so cagey
in there?
33.
33.
PETER
I work for a different team.
BILLY
I know, but I'm the first person in
baseball who's ever talked to you this
long. Right? Why is Garcia undervalued?
PETER
Okay, truthfully, it might not be so easy
to explain.
BILLY
Really? Why's that Peter?
PETER
We might not see the game the same way.
BILLY
Oh really? What do you mean by that?
PETER
You've spent your life in baseball and I
don't have a very traditional view of the
game.
BILLY
Hey Pete, just say it. I'm not about to
beat you up. Say what you've always
wanted to say to a GM.
PETER
Baseball thinking is medieval. It's stuck
in the Dark Ages. I have a more
scientific view of the game.
BILLY
Keep going, Peter.
PETER
There is an epidemic failure within the
game to understand what's really
happening. And it leads people who run
major league teams to misjudge their
players and mismanage their teams.
They're still asking the wrong questions.
People who run baseball teams still think
in terms of buying players. Sorry to say
that.
BILLY
Peter, don't apologize for what you
believe.
34.
34.
PETER
The goal shouldn't be to buy players,
what you want to buy is wins. To buy
wins, you buy runs. You're trying to
replace Johnny Damon. The Red Sox look at
Johnny Damon and they see a star worth
seven point five million a year. When I
look at Johnny Damon, I see an imperfect
understanding of where runs come from.
SUDDEN CUT TO:
ARCHIVAL VIDEO: The back of Johnny Damon's A's jersey as
he walks to the plate to adoring Oakland fans.
PETER V/O
His batting average is ignorable. What
matters is his on base percentage-
DAMON swings at the first pitch and knocks it into left
field for a single. He leads off first--
PETER V/O
- which in 2001 was .324. That's 10
points lower than league average, and 17
points lower than Garcia's.
On the next pitch, DAMON takes off for second--
PETER V/O
True, he stole some bases. But attempted
steals in general have to succeed 70% of
the time before they even start to
contribute to run totals. In 2001 he cost
you runs.
DAMON's tagged out at second.
BACK TO THE GARAGE
PETER
He's got a good glove. He's a decent
leadoff hitter. He steals bases. But he's
not worth the seven point five million
Boston is paying him. You're lucky to
have him off your payroll, it opens all
kinds of interesting possibilities.
BILLY
You read Bill James, Pete?
PETER
Yes. These ideas and this approach to the
game aren't all new. In fact, some of
them have been around for two decades.
35.
35.
BILLY
If this approach has been around for so
long, why isn't anybody in baseball doing
them?
PETER
That's a much more difficult question
than how to win baseball games. Once you
begin to pull at that string, your
understanding of the world might begin to
unravel.
The elevator door closes.
21 INT. AIRPLANE - NIGHT 21
Billy's in coach, staring at the night through the
window, lost in thought.
22 INT. HOUSE - SAN DIEGO - DAY - 1980 22
Billy's mother and father escort Martinez and Mets Head
Scout Roger Jongewaard into the kitchen.
MOTHER
Billy? They're here.
JONGEWAARD
Billy... Good to see you again.
Obviously you're a very special player.
We'd like to compliment you on your high
school career, and we're looking forward
to you being a part of the Mets family.
Jongewaard sits at the kitchen table, speaking more to
Billy's parents than Billy himself --
JONGEWAARD
There's good -- and there's premium.
Your son is premium. He has it all --
power, speed, the arm. The Look -- and
I'm never wrong about that. Which is why
this is a premium number.
He sets a contract on the table. Clipped to its top-
sheet is a check. On its left-hand corner is the Mets
insignia; on the right, the amount: $125,000. They all
see it. A lot of money in 1980. Silence. Then --
MOTHER
Billy's been offered a scholarship to
Stanford.
36.
36.
JONGEWAARD
I know. And that's a great
accomplishment. I'm sure you're very
proud of him.
MOTHER
So he can accept that, go there, and then -
-
Jongewaard is already shaking his head no.
JONGEWAARD
I understand how important college is. I
do. But what I can't do is burn a second
first-round draft pick on someone who
can't play for four years -- no matter
how good he is. Four years is ample time
for someone to get hurt. It happens all
the time. So, no. I'm sorry. It has to
be one or the other. To postpone four
years is four years he could be in big
leagues. The sooner he gets there the
sooner he can reap the benefits.
Stanford or The Money. Young Billy regards the check,
and then his parents. He really doesn't know what to do.
JONGEWAARD
We're going to give him a different kind
of education. This won't be his life's
career, it'll be his first career. He's
going to be a young guy in the business
world when his baseball career is done.
He'll still have his whole life ahead of
him.
FATHER
It's your decision, Billy. Whatever you
decide is fine with us.
23 INT. BILLY'S HOUSE - NIGHT 23
BILLY's looking out his window while holding his cordless
phone. He's dialed the numbers in and just has to hit the
green button.
And now he does.
INTERCUT WITH
24 INT. PETER'S APARTMENT - SAME TIME 24
PETER's ringing cell phone wakes him up and he answers
it.
37.
37.
PETER
Hello?
BILLY
It's Billy Beane.
PETER
What time is it?
BILLY
I don't care. Would you have drafted me
in the first round?
PETER
What?
BILLY
After I left you ran me through your
computer, right? Would you have drafted
me in the first round?
PETER
You were a good baseball player.
BILLY
Would you have drafted me in the first
round?
PETER
(PAUSE)
I'd have drafted you in the ninth round.
No signing bonus. You'd have passed and
gone to Stanford.
BILLY
Pack your suitcases.
PETER
Why?
BILLY
I just bought you from the Cleveland
Indians.
BILLY hangs up the phone. He sits all alone for a moment.
25 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - MORNING 25
MONTAGE: Peter pulls into the parking lot for his first
day of work, takes in the sight of the colossal, concrete
relic that is the Oakland Coliseum. He's just in time to
see a paint roller on a long pole laying a white stripe
down the middle of Jason Giambi's giant portrait.
CUT TO:
38.
38.
26 INT. PETER'S OFFICE - NIGHT 26
PETER's completely converted the place. The dry erase
boards are covered with undecipherable equations,
algorithms and numbers and PETER, who's pretty tired now
after not a lot of sleep, is in the middle of this.
This is what BILLY sees when he walks into the doorway,
where he slows down, stops and looks around blankly.
BILLY
Good evening.
PETER
Good evening.
BILLY
I asked you to do three.
PETER
Yes.
BILLY
To evaluate three available players.
PETER
Yeah.
BILLY
And how many did you do?
PETER
47.
BILLY
OKAY--
PETER
51, I don't know why I lied just then.
BILLY
Talk me through the wall.
PETER gets up and gives BILLY a tour of the dry erase
boards.
PETER
This is the American League West. This
year we're going to need to win between
97 and 101 games to make the post season.
Here's the number of runs we'll need to
score in order to win those games and
here's the number of runs we can allow.
39.
39.
BILLY
Let's make sure we're on the same page.
PETER
Okay.
BILLY
We're going to re-think baseball.
PETER
Yes.
BILLY
Look for an inefficiencies in statistics.
PETER
Examine the ways that runs are scored and
prevented.
BILLY
Exploit the fact that unspectacular runs
are just as valuable as 450-foot bombs.
PETER
Unspectacular runs are more valuable.
BILLY
Why?
PETER/BILLY
(SIMULTANEOUSLY)
Because they cost less.
BILLY
We believe there's a river that hasn't
been fished.
PETER
We know it for sure.
BILLY
And because players have been overlooked
because they don't rise to the standards
of traditional baseball thinking, we
believe that in this river, there are
fish...fish who--
(BILLY lost it)
Help me with--
PETER
Forget the fish. In this room is every
available player at every level of
professional baseball, and somewhere in
that group are 25 players that everyone
has else has thrown out.
(MORE)
40.
40.
PETER (CONT'D)
An island of misfit toys. In this room is
a championship team that we can afford.
BILLY
Yes. But let me ask you this. If our
theory is right--
PETER
Math isn't a theory.
BILLY
If it's right--
PETER
It's right.
BILLY
It sounds right.
PETER
It is right.
BILLY
If math isn't a theory--
PETER
It isn't.
BILLY
I'm gonna punch you in the kidneys if you
don't let me finish a sentence.
PETER
Sorry.
BILLY
If this is right, why isn't everybody
doing it? In fact, why isn't anybody
doing it?
PETER
Somebody once said, "It's not what you
don't know that worries me it's what you
know for sure that's got me scared." In
the mid-19th Century in Budapest there
was an incredibly high instance of
mothers dying shortly after childbirth
from a disease called puerperal fever.
35%.
BILLY
Make this story less boring as soon as
you can.
41.
41.
PETER
A doctor named Semmelweiss showed that if
the attending physicians and nurses
sterilized their hands before delivery,
the mortality rate dropped to 1%.
BILLY
And he was vilified?
PETER
He was institutionalized. For suggesting
that washing your hands before putting
them inside someone else's body was a
good idea. High functioning people can
live under the spell of an inexplicable
mental lapse when they think as a group.
Why isn't anybody else doing it? Because
they don't think guys who look like you
are what win baseball games. They know it
for sure.
BILLY
(PAUSE)
Alright, let's find our team.
CUT TO:
27 INT. VIDEO ROOM - DAY 27
Peter schleps his computer stuff. Sets up, plugs in,
fires up. Turns an unused room into a war room with dry
erase boards and computers. He installs software in the
video room computer, works on a computer in his room,
prints two pages of data and reviews.
CUT TO:
28 INT. BILLY'S OFFICE - NIGHT 28
Peter enters and hands the two pages to Billy. Billy
reviews, stands, then slowly paces as he reads. Peter
stands and watches.
CUT TO:
29 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - NIGHT 29
From somewhere in the outfield, we have a wide view of
the darkened stadium and Billy's office, which, unlike
the others, is illuminated. We can just discern Billy's
silhouette as he continues to slowly pace and study.
CUT TO:
42.
42.
30 INT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - DAY 30
Billy and Peter walk down a long, subterranean corridor.
Peter carries a laptop and a slim notebook.
BILLY
Nervous?
PETER
No??
BILLY
Huh. Interesting.
Peter doesn't know what to make of that.
31 INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE SCOUTING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 31
As they near the scouting room, Billy sees ART HOWE
waiting for him outside it.
BILLY
Hey, Art.
ART
Can I talk to you a second before you get
started.
BILLY
I got a lot to do.
ART
I know.
Whatever it is, Billy knows it can't be as dire as his
other problems, but also knows that to ignore Art would
be to insult him.
He gestures for Peter to go into the scouting room alone.
He'd rather not, but does. The scouts, assuming perhaps
he's there to make coffee, ignore him. He finds a place
to sit in a corner.
ART
Who's the kid?
BILLY
That's Peter.
ART
I can't manage this team under a one-year
contract.
BILLY
Sure you can.
43.
43.
ART
No I can't.
BILLY
I've got to put a team on the field, then
I'll deal with your contract.
ART
How about you deal with the manager's
contract and then put a team on the
field?
BILLY
At the moment, if a ground ball is hit to
first base, nobody's going to be there to
stop it from rolling.
ART
I have to tell you it's not easy doing
what I do under the cloud of a one-year
contract.
BILLY
I know. I been there.
ART
I know you have. And a 1-year contract
says the same thing to a manager as it
does to a player: There's not a lot of
faith there. Which is strange after a
102-win season.
BILLY
If you lose the last one of the season
nobody gives a shit about the others.
ART
It's on me now?
BILLY
It's on me, Art!
(BEAT)
And the kid's the new assistant general
manager.
ART
(PAUSE)
What the fuck are you about to do?
BILLY doesn't answer the question, just walks into the-
44.
44.
32 INT. SCOUTING ROOM - DAY 32
-and ignoring Peter - who has tried to inconspicuously
plant himself in a corner - pulls up a chair to receive
his scouts' report - which Grady, as always, will lead.
Art wanders off.
GRADY
How did it go in Cleveland?
BILLY
It was cold.
The news bothers no one.
GRADY
Let's get after our relief pitching
problem.
BILLY
We got Chad Bradford. Right-hander.
Few, if any of them, have heard of Bradford and begin
leafing through their printouts and notes.
GRADY
Submariner?
BILLY
That's the one. Technically an
underhander.
GRADY
What's his velocity?
BILLY
Unimpressive.
ARTIE
About 85.
GRADY
Does he have a good breaking ball?
BILLY
Doesn't have one.
GRADY
Why do you like this guy?
BILLY
Well, he gets people out.
45.
45.
ARTIE
The left-hander hitters get a really good
look at him.
GRADY
He's down there. He's down there real
low, too.
BILLY
Let's move on.
The scouts aren't sure what to say, and so say nothing.
EVENTUALLY -
GRADY
Well, we, I think, have fared better. We
have some ideas for what to do about
Giambi.
BILLY
Knock me down.
GRADY
We trade power for speed. A rabbit for a
gorilla - We go for an overachiever. A
big heart in the last year his contract.
Tend to play hard. We usually get a
pretty good year out of them. Make up
for some of the offense we lost.
(puts more names up)
Or the other option. Just a thought. We
go for a high-maintenance guy. A guy
that's a little difficult but talented.
A guy like Milton Bradley. Well, not
like Milton. Milton himself. Which do
you want to talk about first?
BILLY
None of them.
Grady looks like a man who can't take much more.
BILLY
You're still looking to replace him;
you're just saying it another way.
BARRY
We got some trades here.
BILLY
We can't do it. What we can do is
recreate his value to us in the
aggregate.
46.
46.
GRADY
The (what) -
BILLY
Giambi's on-base percentage was .477.
Damon's was .324. And Olmeda's - bless
his heart - was .291. Add that up and
you get -
He points to Peter.
PETER
You want me to speak?
BILLY
When I point at you, yes.
PETER
Ten-ninety-two.
BILLY
Divided by three -
PETER
Three-sixty-four.
BILLY
That's what we're looking for. And
that's what we'll find. Three players
whose average OBP is -
PETER
Three-sixty-four.
ARTIE
That doesn't come out right.
BILLY
You gotta carry the one.
ARTIE
Still don't look right.
BILLY
It's right.
The others aren't sure what confuses them more - the
logic, or the guy who shouldn't be in this room.
GRADY
Billy?
BILLY
Yes.
47.
47.
GRADY
Who's that?
BILLY
That's Peter.
And that's all he's going to tell them about Peter.
GRADY
I don't know how to say this delicately -
but does - Peter - need to be here?
BILLY
Yes.
POLONI
What's with this on base percentage
obsession? Is that Bill James bullshit?
BILLY
You can call it Billy Beane bullshit for
all I care.
Billy takes a Marks-A-Lot, jots down three names on
strips, and approaches the board.
BILLY
So here's who we want. One.
He puts the first strip up. It reads: JEREMY GIAMBI.
BILLY
Jason's little brother Jeremy.
BARRY
He never comes home from the games.
POLONI
Billy, if I may, he's had his problems on
the field -- not to mention his problems
off the field -- not to mention he's
getting a little thick around the middle
-- there's the stuff with the weed. He's
at strip joints...
GRADY
This guy could start the year with an
agent and end up with a parole officer
for Christ's sake.
BILLY
His on-base percentage is all we're
looking at now and he gets on base an
awful lot for someone who only costs
$285,000 a year.
48.
48.
GEORGE
He can't catch a ball in the outfield.
I've seen him lose a ball in the
moonlight.
Billy puts up another name: DAVID JUSTICE.
BILLY
David Justice.
GRADY
Ten years ago he was a big name. He's
going to really help our season tickets
at the beginning of the year. But by
June he's not going to be hitting his
weight.
PITTARO
He's 36!
ARTIE
His legs are gone. He's a defensive
liability. I question whether the bat
speed is still there.
BARRY
Steinbrenner is so pissed at his decline
he's willing to eat up half his contract
to get rid of him.
BILLY
That's good.
HOPKINS
He's a fossil. With all due respect,
bringing these three guys aboard is like
putting bubble gum on a flat tire.
GRADY
And why do we want to be the ones to bail
Justice out of his contract?
Billy points at PETER --
PETER
He gets on base.
GRADY
I got 37 free agents who are better than
those guys.
BILLY
Scott Hatteberg.
49.
49.
POTE
Who?
BILLY
Exactly. Sounds like an Oakland A
already. Yes, he's got a little damage
in his elbow.
GRADY
Some damage? He can't throw.
BILLY
We're not interested in him for his arm
anymore than we wanted Giambi for his.
GRADY
Wait, you're talkin' about Hatteberg at
first?
BILLY
Yes.
HOPKINS
He's a career .260 hitter and the good
part of his career is over.
BILLY
I say it's just starting.
PITTARO
Well, Billy, you'll like the sound of
this... I hear Boston wants to cut him
and no one wants to pick him up.
BILLY
That's good news for us. He's cheap.
GRADY
Let me understand this. At first base
you want a guy who's been cut from half
of the minor league teams in the country
due to irreparable nerve damage?
BILLY
He can't hit and he can't field, but what
can he do?
(BEAT)
Look at the piece of paper or I'm going
to point at Peter.
The SCOUTS consult their spreadsheets and then answer
HALF-HEARTEDLY--
50.
50.
SCOUTS
(HALF-HEARTEDLY)
He can get--
BILLY
He can get on base.
POLONI
Alright, so he walks a lot.
BILLY
He gets on base a lot, Rocco. Do I care
if it's a walk or a hit?
PETER
You do not.
POLONI
These three players, by your own
admission, are defective in one way or
another.
BILLY
Yeah.
GRADY
You want to replace Jason Giambi with not
one but three defective players?
BILLY
You got it.
GRADY
Billy, we've all been busting our asses
the last six and a half weeks to make
this a better ball--
BILLY
(cutting him off)
Grady, it's not a discussion.
POTE
I think we're all losing sight of the
fact that you're the general manager.
You only have to answer to ownership and
God.
BILLY
I didn't know God followed baseball.
POTE
I hope he does.
51.
51.
Some of the scouts look over in Peter's direction, no
doubt wondering if he's had something to do with their
general manager's ideas.
WASHINGTON
Billy, I just don't see it.
BILLY
That's okay, Wash. We won't be victimized
by what we see anymore.
WASHINGTON
I understand what you're saying about
their averages, but there's something
you're forgetting. None of them plays
first base.
BILLY
I haven't forgotten that, Wash. One of
them is going to have to learn.
WASHINGTON
Learn.
BILLY
You're going to have to teach him.
WASHINGTON
Teach.
BILLY
Instruct.
WASHINGTON
Which one?
33 EXT/INT. TACOMA HOUSE - NIGHT 33
A Christmas tree. Four stockings hang from the mantle.
The phone rings. SCOTT HATTEBERG gets up. He looks at it.
Looks at his wife. Picks it up.
SCOTT
Hello?
BILLY (VO)
Scott?
SCOTT
Yes?
BILLY (VO)
It's Billy Beane. Oakland A's.
SCOTT was expecting that it would be someone else...
52.
52.
SCOTT
Yes?
BILLY (VO)
Can we talk?
SCOTT
Yes.
BILLY (VO)
You want to invite me in?
SCOTT
What?
BILLY (VO)
I'm outside. I can see you in the window.
SCOTT goes to the window and cups his hands against the
glass to see outside.
ELIZABETH
Honey?
Two silhouettes are standing on the edge of the fairway.
One of them waves.
34 INT. SCOTT HATTEBERG'S HOUSE - LATER - NIGHT 34
ELIZABETH is putting out some cookies shaped like stars
and bells for the late-night guests: BILLY and RON
WASHINGTON.
BILLY
Thank you, ma'am.
WASHINGTON
Thank you, ma'am.
She leaves her husband with the two men but listens in on
their conversation from the next room, nibbling on a
cookie of her own.
BILLY
You've played catcher your whole life?
SCOTT
Since I was 8.
BILLY produces a baseball from his windbreaker and hands
it to SCOTT. SCOTT can only manage to grip the baseball
like a claw. Washington looks to heaven.
BILLY
How's the elbow?
53.
53.
SCOTT
Good. Real good. It's great.
(FUCK IT)
I can't throw at all.
BILLY
Yeah, don't worry about it. You've thrown
your last baseball from behind the plate.
I want you at first.
SCOTT is so thrown by this that all he can do is stare at
BILLY. Then at WASHINGTON, who's shrug tells SCOTT "This
wasn't my idea."
SCOTT
I've only ever played catcher.
BILLY
You're not a catcher anymore. If you
were, then mine wouldn't have been the
only call you got when your contract
expired at midnight.
SCOTT
I appreciate it but--
BILLY
You're welcome.
SCOTT
YOU SEE--
BILLY
You don't know how to play first base.
SCOTT
That's right.
BILLY
It's not that hard. Tell him, Wash.
WASHINGTON
It's incredibly hard!
BILLY
Anything worth doing is. Wash is gonna
teach you.
SCOTT
Wait a minute, what about--
BILLY
Jason's gone, Scott.
54.
54.
SCOTT
I'm taking Giambi's spot at first? What
about the fans?
WASHINGTON
Yeah, maybe I can teach one of them.
BILLY
The fans don't run--
(TO WASHINGTON)
--GOOD ONE--
(back to SCOTT)
--the fans don't run my ball club.
SCOTT
They're gonna hate me.
WASHINGTON
(motioning to BILLY)
No, they're gonna hate him.
BILLY
The fans love me.
WASHINGTON
Okay.
HATTEBERG's YOUNG DAUGHTER comes down the staircase in
her pajamas, having just woken up in the middle of the
night.
BILLY
Hello.
HATTEBERG'S DAUGHTER
Hi.
SCOTT
That's our youngest daughter.
BILLY
Great.
SCOTT
Do you have kids?
BILLY doesn't like to share personal lives with the
players but he covers well--
BILLY
--yeah, I have a daughter.
BILLY takes a contract out of his windbreaker and sets it
on the table next to the cookies.
55.
55.
BILLY
This is a contract for you to play
baseball with the Oakland A's. A copy's
on its way to your agent. Discuss it with
your wife and let us know.
(They get up and
Billy calls off)
Thanks for the cookies, ma'am.
We see ELIZABETH with tears running down her face...then
go back to the living room--
ELIZABETH (O.S.)
You're welcome.
BILLY
(on his way out)
Merry Christmas.
35 EXT./INT. SAN DIEGO - PRESENT DAY 35
The door of a suburban house opens, revealing a WOMAN.
BILLY
Hi.
SHARON
Hi, Billy.
She pulls the door open so he can come in. As he does -
BILLY
She home?
SHARON
She's out, but she'll be home soon.
36 INT. SAN DIEGO HOUSE - CONTINUOUS 36
As Billy enters his ex-wife Sharon's house, her husband
ALAN walks in, talking on the phone.
ALAN
(ON PHONE)
Yeah, no, don't worry about it sweetie.
Here's mom.
Alan hands Sharon the phone.
BILLY
Hey Alan.
ALAN
Come on in have a seat. Want some coconut
water? It's really refreshing.
56.
56.
BILLY
I'm all set, thanks.
ALAN
What are you benching now?
BILLY
I don't keep count.
ALAN
Well, whatever it is, it's working. You
look good.
They sit on the couch next to a Christmas tree.
ALAN
I haven't got to see you since the
playoffs in New York. That was
heartbreaking, Billy. We were rooting for
you.
BILLY
(BEAT)
Yep.
ALAN
You know what I say?
BILLY
Fuck `em.
(BEAT)
I'm sorry Alan, what do you say?
ALAN
No, I just wanted to say that a lot of
teams don't get that far, and to make it
that far is a really big accomplishment.
Sharon gets off the phone and joins them.
BILLY
(TO SHARON)
So how is she?
SHARON
She's great. Be here in a minute. How's
the team shaping up?
BILLY
New beginnings. Blue horizons.
ALAN
I read that you lost two players. Damon
AND -
(MORE)
57.
57.
ALAN (CONT'D)
(MISPRONOUNCES)
Ghee-ambi?
SHARON
Giambi. Wow, that's tough. That's really
tough.
BILLY
And Isringhausen.
ALAN
Sounds tough.
BILLY
So where is she?
ALAN
I just talked to her on her cell. She's
just coming up the hill, she's two
minutes away.
BILLY
You bought her a cell phone?
SHARON
Yeah.
BILLY
At 12?
ALAN
Just for emergencies. I'm sorry, we
should have consulted you for that
DECISION-
BILLY
It's probably a good idea.
SHARON
But actually I called you -
The front door opens. It's Billy's daughter Casey - a pre-
teen indie-rock girl - and not a moment too soon. He's
up quickly to give her a hug and to get out of here.
BILLY
Let's go shopping.
37 INT. GUITAR CENTER - LA MESA - DAY 37
Billy and Casey peruse guitars.
BILLY
You want one with nylon strings, right?
58.
58.
CASEY
I like the red ones.
BILLY
How about this?
CASEY
Yeah, that's cool.
BILLY
Let's try it out over here.
They take a seat. Casey easily fingers through a very
tough spray of notes.
BILLY
(GENUINELY IMPRESSED)
Casey.
CASEY
Yeah.
BILLY
You got good.
CASEY
I've just been playing a lot.
BILLY
That's... that's not the way most 12 year
olds play.
CASEY
Alan thinks I should have a better
teacher.
BILLY
Who's Alan?
CASEY looks at him --
BILLY
Oh, yeah. Mom's Alan. What's wrong with
the teacher you have now?
CASEY
Alan thinks I should be working more on
technique so I don't learn bad habits.
BILLY
Well, you seem to be doing just fine to
me. Do you like playing?
CASEY
I love it.
59.
59.
BILLY
That's so great. I'm so happy for you.
The most important thing in life is to
find something you love and do it well.
Do you like your teacher?
CASEY
Yeah.
BILLY
Okay, I'll talk to Mom and Alan. Do you
like that guitar?
CASEY
Yes!
BILLY
That the one?
CASEY
Yeah, I think so.
BILLY
Let's get it. Let's get it now.
CASEY
Really?
BILLY
Merry Christmas.
CUT TO:
38 EXT. DODGER STADIUM 38
LEGEND: 1984
BILLY's at the plate, a batting helmet snug around his
head, wearing a METS uniform, as a 97 mph fastball buzzes
by him and the UMPIRE calls--
UMPIRE
Striiike!
BILLY steps out of the box, taps the dirt off his cleats
and steps back in.
A younger-looking SHARON is sitting in field level seats,
looking on nervously and trying not to show it.
BILLY half-swings at the breaking ball, holding his swing
at the last minute.
60.
60.
The CATCHER and PLATE UMPIRE both point down to first
base for the call and the FIRST BASE UMPIRE makes a fist
in the air, indicating that Billy swung.
UMPIRE
Striiike!
And Billy's out.
SHARON holds her head in her hands and BILLY walks back
to the dugout, passing a player with "STRAWBERRY" on his
back.
And now the quick scenes of failure become staccato--
39-40 OMITTED 39-40
41 EXT. TIDEWATER 41
LEGEND: 1985
BILLY playing for minor league Tidewater and he grounds
OUT AND
CUT TO:
42 EXT. TOLEDO 42
LEGEND: 1986
BILLY playing for minor League Toledo. He swings and pops
up lamely to the PITCHER, throwing his bat down in
frustration as he jogs hopelessly to first and we
ANNOUNCER V/O
...Billy Beane, who's quickly
establishing a new record for breaking
bats, bat racks and water coolers, was
actually a much-touted first round pick
of the New York Mets in 1980 but the
majors have not been kind to him with
only 18 plate appearances in two years
and this won't doing anything to help him
as...
43 EXT. YANKEE STADIUM 43
LEGEND: 1986
BILLY playing for the Minnesota Twins where he comes back
into the dug out and throws his batting helmet down and
CUT TO:
61.
61.
44 EXT. PORTLAND 44
LEGEND: 1987
BILLY playing for minor league Portland and a water
cooler goes flying across the dugout and
CUT TO:
A45 EXT. MINNESOTA A45
LEGEND: 1987
ANNOUNCER V/O
...one of two first round picks in 1980
along with Daryl Strawberry, Beane was
brought up last year and sent back down
after 8 at-bats so here's a second chance
as Smith delivers...
BILLY playing for the Minnesota Twins. He swings hard at
a pitch and strikes out and we
CUT TO:
45 EXT. DETROIT 45
LEGEND: 1988
BILLY playing for the Detroit Tigers and the bat rack
gets heaved across the field and
CUT TO:
46 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - NIGHT 46
LEGEND: 1989
ANNOUNCER V/O
...If you're a real baseball fan with a
good memory you might remember that Billy
Beane was taken in the first round of the
amateur draft back in 1980, separated
from All-Star outfielder Daryl Strawberry
by only 14 picks, so it just goes to
show...
BILLY in an A's uniform. He stands and watches a called
third strike sail past him.
UMPIRE
Strike!
Billy breaks the bat over his thigh and drops the pieces
on the plate. He begins to walk off.
62.
62.
UMPIRE
Hey Billy, clean up after yourself.
Billy hears him but continues to walk off.
TO BE WRITTEN: THE UMP TOSSES BILLY FROM THE GAME.
BILLY looks up at SHARON in the seats behind the dugout
but the two can't quite meet each other's eyes.
47 INT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - DAY 47
In the subterranean video room - an even less elegant
place than the rest of the stadium - someone has put up a
scraggly Christmas tree. There, Peter watches a tape of
a minor leaguer on the Lowell Spinners, a Single-A Boston
affiliate. Billy comes in.
PETER
How'd it go?
BILLY
How'd what go?
PETER
Hatteberg.
BILLY
He can barely hold a baseball. But he's
our guy now.
Billy sits.
BILLY
Who's that?
PETER
That is Kevin Youkilis. This is the guy
we want more than anyone else in the
world.
Billy watches the guy on the screen. He's an overweight
right-handed batter with a peculiar stance.
PETER
He can't run, throw or field. But he
walks more than anyone in baseball except
Barry Bonds. Take out intentional walks
and it's more than Bonds. He's the Greek
God of Walks.
On the TV, the batter takes another pitch just off the
edge of the strike zone.
63.
63.
PETER
I tried to get Shapiro to draft him last
June. He said he waddled like a duck.
Boston took him. Boston won't let him go
yet. They're going to wait and see.
They watch him lay off a pitch an inch outside the strike
zone. Peter gives Billy a look that says, You see that?
PETER
You all right, Billy?
GRADY O/S
Billy?
Grady has appeared behind them at the door.
GRADY
Can we talk a minute?
BILLY
Yeah.
(TO PETER)
Yeah.
48 INT. LOCKER ROOM - MOMENTS LATER 48
Grady closes the video room door for privacy. The only
other person in sight is manager Art Howe, in his office
in street clothes. He shuts his windowed door so Grady
and Billy can talk in confidence.
GRADY
Your boy and I had a talk while you were
in Tacoma. I didn't like much of what I
heard.
BILLY
No?
GRADY
No. You got a kid in there with a Yale
economics degree and a scout out here
with 29 years baseball experience and
you're listening to the wrong one.
BILLY
I don't listen to anyone, you know that.
GRADY
This isn't a joke.
BILLY
I'm not joking.
64.
64.
GRADY
This isn't how you run a ball club, with
a computer. You know that. You're a
baseball man. There are intangibles
that only a scout can see in a player
that you're not going to pick up with
just numbers, with someone who doesn't
play the game, who knows nothing about
the game but how to feed numbers into a
computer.
BILLY
That's what we're doing. That's exactly
what we're doing.
GRADY
If this is what baseball is, if it's not
Kirk Gibson going up to the plate on two
bad legs because the manager felt in his
heart that he had one swing left in that
body... a computer wouldn't do that.
They would have had him sitting up in the
stands.
BILLY
A computer doesn't romanticize the sport.
Leave that for the fans.
GRADY
Well, romance and the fans, it's called a
love affair with the game and it's been
going on for one hundred and fifty years.
BILLY
I don't want to hurt you love affair with
the game. Just because we've been doing
it one way for a hundred and fifty years
doesn't mean we've been doing it right.
You have any idea how long people thought
the sun revolved around the earth? To
your eyes it looks like that's what's
happening.
GRADY
You're saying everybody's been wrong?
Everybody?
Beat.
GRADY
Are you saying everybody's been wrong?
BILLY
Yes. Maybe.
(BEAT)
(MORE)
65.
65.
BILLY (CONT'D)
Yes, and I've thought so my whole life.
And now we're gonna see if I'm--
GRADY
--we're gonna see if you're right?! This
is about you and your shit? Some scouts
from 20 years ago called it wrong, okay?
They thought you were a ballplayer and
you weren't. As you know, it happens.
Don't take it out on--
BILLY
I'm not--taking it out on--
GRADY
I'm trying to help, okay, I'm saying--
BILLY
No, you're not saying anything to me
right now.
(BEAT)
Grady, you don't have special powers. You
don't have the ability to look at a guy
and "just know" because you're a scout
with special powers. I've watched you sit
at kitchen tables for years and tell the
parents of a 17 year old kid, "Trust me,
when I know, I know, and when it comes to
your son, I know" and you don't. We're
shopping in a new store--full of
complicated statistical analysis and
equations and I get that it turns your
world upside down but on base percentage--
our best chance to score on our budget
isn't getting a 6'4" Adonis to the plate,
it's getting a 5'10" washout who's
already at first base.
GRADY
(PAUSE)
May I speak?
BILLY
Yes.
GRADY
Major League Baseball and its fans will
be happy to hand you and Google Boy your
heads if you keep doing what you're doing
here, 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.
(MORE)
66.
66.
GRADY (CONT'D)
You're making it impossible for yourself
to get another job once Schott fires you
after this catastrophic season you're
setting us all up for and you're gonna
have to explain to your wife and your kid
why you're working at Dick's Sporting
Goods.
BILLY
I'm not gonna fire you, Grady.
GRADY
Go fuck yourself, Billy.
BILLY
Well now maybe.
GRADY takes off.
BILLY stands there a moment. On his way out, passing
Art's windowed office, he exchanges a look with the
manager. Billy takes a short walk to where a few of his
scouts are standing around an arcade console. To the
youngest one -
BILLY
Eric. You never even played high school
ball, right?
The young scout shakes his head, embarrassed.
BILLY
Grady's gone. You're the new Head Scout.
Billy turns away and is headed back to the video room.
Pokes his head in.
BILLY
Don't try to explain things to scouts.
They're not programmed to get it. It's
just us.
He leaves. Peter watches the door close, then glances
back to the tape as Youkilis takes ball four and waddles
down to first base.
CUT TO:
A49 EXT. PHOENIX MUNICIPAL STADIUM - DAY A49
Team / JumboTron photos are taken of our new A's. It's
clear from the photo Billy didn't hire them to sell
jeans.
LEGEND: March 2, 2002 - SPRING TRAINING
67.
67.
Billy gives an interview to a SPORTS REPORTER.
SPORTS REPORTER
Billy, will the fans still come out now
that you've lost Giambi?
BILLY
I don't know, Graham. Will they listen to
your insipid radio show?
B49 INT. LOCKER ROOM - ARIZONA - DAY B49
MIKE MAGNANTE goes through the effort of putting on his
knee-braces. Scott Hatteberg, lacing up, watches him.
49 EXT. PHOENIX MUNICIPAL STADIUM - DAY 49
Various stations have been set up at which infielders go
through their warm-ups - wind sprints, arm loosening.
Infielders field grounders hit by Art Howe from a fungo.
Billy paces in the foul territory off the first base
line. HIS POV: JEREMY GIAMBI missing a fly ball, DAVID
JUSTICE looking tired, HATTEBERG missing the scoop.
Art hits another grounder which Hatteberg botches again.
Art looks at Billy a good long beat, then hits to another
infielder.
Peter walks up to Billy, just as -
A poke off the bat sends Jeremy Giambi scrambling back
like a postman trying to escape a mad dog. The ball
lands behind him.
BILLY
Well, we didn't pay him for his defense.
Art and Washington hit grounders to Carlos Pena and Scott
Hatteberg. Hatteberg miraculously gets his mitt on it.
BILLY
That's the way, Hatte. Pickin' Machine.
Behind a portable backstop, a guy with a radar gun gets
ready to clock a trio of relievers. Mike Magnante has
his pant legs pulled up to adjust knee-braces. Magnante
gets up and begins throwing, increasing his velocity each
time.
BILLY
None of those broke 85.
68.
68.
They watch the second pitcher - the gentle-faced kid from
the locker room - Chad Bradford - step up.
BILLY
Chad I have high hopes for.
Bradford overthrows his first submarine hand-scraping-
the-ground pitch, and the ball sails wide of the catcher.
Somebody ducks. Art Howe glances with a long-suffering
look to Billy.
BILLY
It just got away from him.
They watch David Justice do wind sprints.
BILLY
He's still got it.
Then Justice stops, winded.
50 INT. LOCKER ROOM - ARIZONA - LATER 50
As the players shower and change into street clothes,
Art, Billy and Washington discuss Hatteberg, who knows
they're discussing him.
BILLY
It's the first day of week one. There's
nothing to judge yet.
ART
I can judge it and so can you. First
base is the moon to him.
BILLY
It wasn't to Giambi? He's the worst
first baseman in baseball. What do you
think of him, Wash?
WASHINGTON
The nicest way I can put it is, he lacks
confidence.
BILLY
Work with him Wash.
WASHINGTON
I'll do that, Billy, but we've got Pena
who can play first. And he's looking
pretty good out there.
BILLY
I want to make it work with Hatte, Wash.
69.
69.
As Washington crosses the locker room to lie to Scott
about how much progress he's making, he passes Magnante
taking off his knee braces, and Chad Bradford sitting at
his locker with a Bible in his lap.
ART
Not to mention we already have a first
baseman.
BILLY
A rookie first baseman. It's not the
same.
ART
Number 11 on the Top 100 Prospects list.
BILLY
Lists aren't baseball.
ART
Catchers at first base aren't baseball.
Who's idea was this? Peter's?
BILLY
Hatteberg will be fine, Art.
ART
He will be fine, you're right. Pinch
hitting while Pena plays first base.
51 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - DAY 51
A towering portrait of David Justice has been painted
where Jason Giambi's used to be.
The hardest diehard fans file under it and through the
turnstiles. You know what they look like, dripping A's
merchandise, radios and Sharpies, arriving so early the
B.P. cage is still being dragged into place.
A SERIES OF SHOTS
Indicate the arrival of opening day. INCLUDING: foul
lines are painted, broadcast trucks plug in, the network
control room fires up, ANNOUNCERS do their prep, Steve
Schott lands in his helicopter.
LEGEND: April 1, 2002 - OPENING DAY
IN THE LOCKER ROOM: Players prepare. Magnante puts on
his knee braces.
MAGNANTE
Yeah... been doing it for way too long.
70.
70.
HATTEBERG
How long does it take?
MAGNANTE
When I first started these things? It
was like a half hour process. Now I can
knock these suckers out in 30 seconds, no
problem.
52 INT. A'S LOCKER ROOM - SAME TIME - DAY 52
Jeremy Giambi's boombox is on again as he and his 24
teammates suit up.
36-year-old David Justice wanders past to a soda machine.
Presses a button, but nothing comes out. Tries again.
TEJADA
Is a dollar, mang.
JUSTICE
What?
TEJADA
Always been like that here.
JUSTICE
You're kidding me, right?
TEJADA
Welcome to Oakland.
BILLY and PETER walk through. He walks past CHAD
BRADFORD's locker...
CHAD
Excuse me, Mr. Beane.
BILLY
Hey Chad.
CHAD
I hope I'm not disturbing you.
BILLY
You're not, what's up?
CHAD
I wanted to say thanks for the
opportunity.
BILLY
It's gonna work out well for both of us.
71.
71.
CHAD
Nobody in the major league ever took me
seriously.
BILLY
(PAUSE)
Nobody?
CHAD
Just you, sir.
BILLY
Okay.
(BEAT)
It's a big day, you won't forget it.
CHAD
I'm going to pray for you and your
family.
PETER follows BILLY out of the locker room.
53 OMITTED 53
A54 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - ANNOUNCER'S BOOTH - DAY A54
SHOTS OF THE GAME ANNOUNCERS. KEN KORACH, GREG PAPA and
GLEN KUIPER welcome the fans to opening day, discuss the
A's lineup and the problems they face this season.
54 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - DAY 54
MONTAGE:
It's fifteen minutes before the game as some executives
have their picture taken on the field with BILLY.
BILLY
Hey, great to see you. Thanks for coming
out. Got a good box? You want a
picture? Sure, let me step in there.
Great, big smiles now. Big smiles. Know
what I like about opening day?
Everyone's even. Thank you. You all
enjoy the game.
BILLY gets his picture taken with KIDS from an area
Little League team. He's laughing and being a good host.
BILLY
Hey, how you guys doing. So you won?
That's great. What position are you?
How's your fastball? 92? Alright,
should we get a pic?
72.
72.
Billy and the Little League team pose with a giant
donation check. The announcer then directs everyone's
attention to a trophy ceremony in progress. As Chavez
receives his Golden Glove award and smiles for the
fans...
CUT TO:
55 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD LEVEL SEATS - DAY 55
BILLY greeting some VIP's in their field-level seats.
Throughout this we'll hear bits of talk radio.
HOST #1 (FROM RADIO)
With the departure of head scout Grady
Fuson and a roster that I'll describe as
unusual, if not eccentric, you have to
wonder what Billy Beane is thinking.
BILLY catches a glance of ELIZABETH HATTEBERG taking her
seat nearby.
In the family area, Elizabeth introduces herself to Tara.
ELIZABETH
Hi, I'm Elizabeth.
TARA
Hi. Tara. Which is yours?
ELIZABETH
Scott Hatteberg. Catcher - actually first
base - actually we don't know. Yours?
TARA
GM.
ELIZABETH
(EXCITEDLY)
Mr. Beane?
Tara nods.
ELIZABETH
He's a saint.
TARA
Really?
CUT TO:
A56 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - DAY A56
Art is talking to a JOURNALIST.
73.
73.
JOURNALIST
Are they picking up your option for next
year?
A beat.
ART
I brought it up to them during the off-
season, and I still do not have my
option.
JOURNALIST
Are you frustrated?
ART
I think it's fair to say that.
56 OMITTED 56
57 OMITTED (INCORPORATED INTO 54) 57
A58 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - LATER A58
Art Howe stands mid-field as the starting lineup is
announced. One by one, players join him on the field.
The honor guard presents the flag as everyone stands for
the National Anthem. Afterward, the players scatter to
warm up for the game.
58 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD LEVEL - DAY 58
The CROWD CHEERS as the A's take the field. Billy and
Peter are at the edge of the tunnel, watching.
BILLY
Okay, good.
(BEAT)
I'm heading in.
PETER
Why?
BILLY
I don't watch the games.
PETER
Is this a joke?
BILLY shakes his head "no". PETER gestures "What the fuck
are you talking about?"
BILLY
I don't know what you're miming.
74.
74.
PETER
I'm miming "You don't watch the games?!"
BILLY
This is my team. And they've taken the
field. They're world class athletes who
are fighting for their lives and I stand
with them. Except not literally so I need
you to text me what Art does.
BILLY walks out onto--
CUT TO:
59 INT. BILLY'S OFFICE - DAY 59
BILLY's watching the game on TV (ARCHIVAL VIDEO) with the
sound off but we can hear the live crowd in the stadium.
CRACK--a TEXAS RANGER hits a three-run homer and BILLY
walks out of the room and
CUT TO:
60 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - DAY - ARCHIVAL VIDEO 60
An OAKLAND A hits an easy pop-up to center field and
CUT TO:
61 INT. WEIGHT ROOM - DAY 61
Where BILLY's on a stationary bike. His blackberry buzzes
and he takes a look--
"Fly out to cntr"
CUT TO:
62 INT. WEIGHT ROOM - DAY 62
Where BILLY's bench pressing and CRACK--
CUT TO:
63 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - DAY - ARCHIVAL VIDEO 63
Where an OAKLAND A has just hit a ground ball to the
SHORTSTOP, who tosses it easily to second for the first
out, and the SECOND BASEMAN throws it over to first for--
CUT TO:
64 INT. WEIGHT ROOM - DAY 64
Where BILLY looks at the blackberry which now says--
75.
75.
"643 DBL PLAY"
The blackberry goes crashing into the wall and blows
apart.
CUT TO:
65 INT. LOCKER ROOM/AREA OUTSIDE ART'S OFFICE - NIGHT 65
We find Billy and Art in conversation.
BILLY
Yeah. I should have made you a bigger
part of the conversation, I should have
had you in the scout meetings from the
first day, that way you would have
understood this better and that was
another mistake, I take full
responsibility.
ART
What are you trying to say?
BILLY
It doesn't matter what moves I make if
you don't play the team the way I need
them played.
ART
BILLY -
(LONG BEAT)
You are out of your depth.
BILLY
Why wasn't Hatteberg at first?
ART
Because he can't play first.
BILLY
How do you know?
ART
Not my first baseball game.
BILLY
ART--
ART
Scott Hatteberg can't hit.
BILLY
He gets on--
76.
76.
ART
And his defense--
BILLY
Still keeps us in the plus column and we
only need to be 7 over 500.
ART
Anything else?
BILLY
Yeah, I would have rather seen Chad
Bradford in there at the end than
Magnante.
ART
BRADFORD'S--
BILLY
I don't care about righty/lefty.
ART
I do.
BILLY
This is about your contract?
ART
No, you've made it clear what you think
about that. This is about you doing your
job and me doing mine. Mine's being left
alone to manage the beer league team you
assembled for me.
BILLY
I didn't assemble them for you, I
assembled them for me.
ART
No shit.
66 INT. BILLY'S OFFICE - DAY 66
BILLY
I want you to go on the road with the
team.
PETER
You don't go on the road with the team.
BILLY
That's why I want you to do it.
PETER
Why don't you?
77.
77.
BILLY
I don't want to develop personal
relationships. I need to trade them, send
them down and sometimes cut them. You
should learn how to do that by the way.
PETER
The only way I'd have to cut a player is
if you oh come on!
BILLY
Yeah, let's practice.
PETER
No.
BILLY
I'm a player, cut me from the roster.
PETER
No.
BILLY
Do it.
PETER
This is stupid.
BILLY
Man-up, Yale.
PETER
Fine. Billy, would you have a seat for a
moment, I need to talk to you.
BILLY
I'm already sitting.
PETER
I was pretending you weren't sitting.
BILLY
But I am. Keep going.
PETER
This is the hardest thing there is to do
in baseball.
BILLY
You got that from Bull Durham?
PETER
Yeah.
78.
78.
BILLY
Hitting a curve ball is the hardest thing
there is to do in baseball but go ahead.
PETER
You've been a huge part of this team but
decisions have to be made that are best
for the team, I'm sure you can understand
that.
BILLY
You're cutting me?
PETER
I'm really sorry.
BILLY
I just bought a house here.
PETER
(BEAT)
Well...
BILLY
Well? That's all you have to say? My kids
just started at a new school, they made
friends.
PETER
That's--I'd leave them in school, you
don't want to take them out in the middle
OF THE--
BILLY
What the hell are you doing?
PETER
Are you you or the player?
BILLY
I'm me. You're talking about kids and
schools and you should've been out of the
room three minutes ago.
PETER
Shouldn't I tell them that they'll always
be a part of the A's family?
BILLY
That makes me feel so good I'm thinking
of burning your house down with you in
it. These are professional baseball
players. You just do it. "Peter, I need
to let you go. Jack's office'll handle
the paperwork."
79.
79.
PETER
That's it?
BILLY
Would you rather get one bullet in the
head or five in the chest and bleed to
death?
PETER
Those are my only choices?
BILLY
Go on the road with the team.
CUT TO:
67 INT. AIRPLANE - IN FLIGHT - NIGHT 67
Jeremy Giambi discreetly mixes a highball from a cache of
hotel minibar liquor bottles as he watches his favorite
movie on a portable DVD player, The Natural.
DAVID JUSTICE is sitting next to PETER, who scrolls down
stats on his laptop.
DAVID
How come your boss doesn't travel with
the team?
PETER
He doesn't like to mingle with the
players.
DAVID
Makes us easier to cut?
PETER doesn't say anything...
DAVID
He's gonna make some moves if we keep
losing.
PETER gives a small "Yeah" shrug...
DAVID
How come soda costs a dollar in the
clubhouse?
PETER
Billy likes to keep the money on the
field.
DAVID
Soda money?
80.
80.
PETER doesn't say anything...
DAVID
Where on the field is the dollar I pay
for soda?
PETER
(BEAT)
It's hard to see.
DAVID
(shaking his head)
Alright.
68 INT. WEIGHT ROOM - NIGHT 68
Billy watches the T.V.
ON TV - PENA taking his place at first.
TV ANNOUNCER V/O
The A's begin their first road trip of
the season having dropped 7 of their
first 11 games at home and their schedule
doesn't get any easier from here. If
there's a bright spot it's rookie first
baseman Carlos Pena.
Billy turns off the T.V., gets beeper updates as he works
out.
69 INT. BILLY'S TRUCK - DAY 69
Billy drives.
VOICES V/O
With the A's getting off to a miserable
start/13 of their last 20/17 of their
last 25/etc...
70 INT. OAKLAND AIRPORT - DAY 70
BILLY's waiting for someone. HE'S WATCHING THE A'S GAME
BY THE GATE. A PASSENGER, also watching the game,
recognizes Billy.
PASSENGER
Hey, aren't you Billy Beane?
BILLY
Yeah.
PASSENGER
Shouldn't you be at the game?
81.
81.
BILLY
Nope.
CASEY emerges from the gate, sees her father before he
sees her and runs to him. They hug.
CASEY
Hey, Dad.
BILLY
Hey, honey... I'm glad to see you.
CUT TO:
71 INT. BILLY'S/PETER'S OFFICE - DAY 71
BILLY and PETER are throwing a ball through their office
doors on either side of the hallway--
PETER
It's not a big enough sample yet. I want
to wait until we play more games.
72 INT. BILLY'S OFFICE - DAY 72
BILLY watches the game from the office T.V. He sees --
73 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - DAY - ARCHIVAL VIDEO 73
DAVID JUSTICE grounds into a double play to end the game.
TV ANNOUNCER
And Justice hits into the 6-4-3 double
play to end the game...
The INDIANS trot on the field to high-five each other.
74 OMITTED 74
A75 INT. BILLY'S HOUSE - AFTERNOON A75
Casey sits at the table as Billy scoops ice cream.
BILLY
Do you want strawberry or vanilla?
CASEY
Both.
BILLY
Don't tell your mother.
(THEN)
If you could only have one ice cream for
the rest of your life, which would you
choose?
82.
82.
CASEY
Vanilla. Definitely vanilla.
BILLY
Interesting. Chocolate sauce?
CASEY
Yup.
A beat. Then --
CASEY
Dad... if you could choose between the
power of invisibility or flight, which
would you choose?
BILLY
Flight. Yeah, I'd wanna fly. You?
CASEY
I think I'd want invisibility.
BILLY
Really? Why?
CASEY
I don't know. People wouldn't notice me
as much.
BILLY
Why wouldn't you want people to notice
you?
CASEY
I don't know.
BILLY
Well, I guess you could sneak up on
people. Or eavesdrop on their
conversations. You could be a spy.
(THEN)
So how's school?
CASEY
My teacher's kinda mean. She doesn't
like us to ask questions.
BILLY
What kind of teacher doesn't let you ask
questions?
CASEY
I know, right? Mom was mad, too. She
thinks maybe I should be home schooled.
83.
83.
BILLY
Wouldn't you miss your friends?
CASEY
Yeah. But the other kids are mean.
BILLY
There are always going to be bullies.
Try not to let them get to you. But let
me know if it's becoming a problem.
CASEY
Can I ask you a question? Are you still
chewing tobacco?
BILLY
Yeah...
CASEY
Please stop.
BILLY
I know, it's terrible. Look, I promise
I'll quit in November if you promise not
to worry about it.
CASEY
Pinkie swear?
BILLY
Pinkie swear.
75 INT. BILLY'S OFFICE - DAY 75
PETER
Theoretically, when we've played more
games the numbers will become more
REPRESENTATIVE OF--
BILLY
Theoretically?
76 EXT. SAFECO FIELD - SEATTLE - DAY 76
The scoreboard shows the A's down by 1 in the 6th.
As Art trudges toward the mound to pull his starter, he
touches his left arm. Magnante emerges from the pen -
and Peter, up in a VIP box, flips open his phone.
CUT TO:
77 INT. OAKLAND AIRPORT - DAY 77
BILLY is saying goodbye to CASEY.
84.
84.
BILLY
Alright. Be good.
CASEY
Okay.
Billy's Blackberry chimes. He ignores it.
BILLY
(PAUSE)
I feel like--
CASEY
(PAUSE)
You feel like what?
BILLY
(BEAT)
I don't know, did we talk enough this
time?
CASEY
About what?
BILLY
Anything. Did we talk about the things
you want to talk about, did we have fun?
CASEY
(PAUSE)
Yeah!?
BILLY
Okay.
CASEY
I love you, Dad.
BILLY
You're doing it right now.
CASEY
What?
BILLY
You're worrying about me.
CASEY
Sorry.
BILLY
Do I look like I'm worried?
CASEY
Yeah.
85.
85.
BILLY
`Cause you're getting on an airplane and
those things crash all the time. Will
you please stop worrying about your
father? You're a kid, I can't have it.
CASEY
Okay. Can I worry about the airplane now
though?
BILLY
Absolutely.
A FLIGHT ATTENDANT approaches --
FLIGHT ATTENDANT
We're all set.
BILLY
Great.
There's a slightly awkward moment and CASEY isn't sure
whether she's supposed to hug her father again and so
they do a sort of half-hug.
BILLY
I love you.
BILLY watches her go off with the attendant, feeling like
it was an unsatisfying visit.
He looks at his blackberry--
3-2. Magnante in.
BILLY
(SHOUTING)
No! WHY IS HE IN THERE?!
EVERYONE in the area stops to look at the madman.
BILLY
(to the people
looking at him)
No no. I'm alright.
78 EXT. TRACK - MORNING 78
Billy runs the warning track with a small radio that he
turns on long enough to follow what's happening, and
switches it off again.
Over the following, we hear a cacophony of radio and TV
VOICES tumbling into each other--
86.
86.
79 THE STANDINGS ON PETER'S COMPUTER: 79
The A's have fallen to 19-25.
80 EXT. YANKEE STADIUM - NIGHT 80
MAGNATE giving up a save-blowing hit while BRADFORD sits
in the bullpen...
81 EXT. JACOB'S FIELD - CLEVELAND - DAY 81
An Oakland A hits into a double-play, strike out, caught
stealing, picked off first, a lop-sided scoreboard, half-
EMPTY STANDS--
A82 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - NIGHT A82
The parking lot is a vast, empty black sea with just two
pin-points of moving light. Headlights.
Billy drives around the lot like a downhill skier with
nothing in his way -- his daughter's mix-tape playing.
82 EXT. EDISON FIELD - ANAHEIM, CA - NIGHT 82
Jeremy lines a single to right, but is so slow he's
almost thrown out at first. Art Howe glances at his
bench coach, Ken Macha.
ANNOUNCER
Art Howe is the only manager in baseball
who has to think about pinch running his
leadoff hitter.
Down in the Visitors' pen, Chad sits with Mike Magnante.
MAGNANTE
Why do you do it?
CHAD
I can't not do it.
MAGNANTE
How do you do it? Every ball park's
different.
CHAD
I take that into account and adjust the
distance of my steps.
MAGNANTE
Exactly seventy-four, from the pen to the
mound.
(MORE)
87.
87.
MAGNANTE (CONT'D)
(BRADFORD NODS)
You should get that looked at, man.
CUT TO:
83 EXT. SAFECO FIELD - NIGHT 83
The TEAM in the dugout, hanging their heads during a
BLOWOUT AND
CUT TO:
84 INT. CLUB HOUSE - NIGHT 84
Peter erases the percentage of games left they need to
win and writes in a higher number and
CUT TO:
85 INT. BILLY'S TRUCK - DAY 85
He's listening to the radio.
REPORTER V/O
-- after Sunday's 11-0 rout. Now, having
dropped 13 of 16, the A's are a game away
from being swept at home by the AL East
last place Baltimore Orioles.
CUT TO:
86 AERIAL SHOT 86
as we follow Billy's truck from Oakland over the Bay
Bridge into San Francisco.
CUT TO:
87 INT. SCHOTT'S OFFICE - DAY 87
BILLY
Steve.
SCHOTT
Billy.
BILLY
You remember Peter.
SCHOTT
Peter. Guys, give me some idea of what's
going on out there.
88.
88.
BILLY
Listen, it's a team of probabilities, and
we're gonna need 162 games to tell that
tale in a nascent form. It's phase one,
we're evolving and we feel confident
where we're heading.
SCHOTT
BILLY -
BILLY
We're not scared.
SCHOTT
3 out of 17 games. 3. We're getting
crucified in the press. What makes you
think this is gonna turn around?
BILLY
Because I believe in what we're doing. I
believe the numbers. I believe the record
doesn't accurately reflect the team and
where we're going to be at the end of the
season. Peter and I feel very strongly
that we need to stick to the game plan,
and you can tell your partners to start
booking their tickets to the playoffs.
SCHOTT
Billy, look, you've got guys who are
nearly crippled, who couldn't get hired
as an usher in a ballpark now playing on
the team. Give me something I can go back
to these guys with and feel like I have
the confidence that you're gonna turn
these things around.
BILLY
With all due respect you asked me to
build a team with shoelaces and gum
wrappers and we've done it.
SCHOTT
You haven't done it yet billy.
BILLY
And it will pay off. Stick with us.
Suffer the blows. Listen, life with no
money means we're gonna have to suffer a
few embarrassments along the way, but we
are okay in the end.
SCHOTT
Billy, there's a lot of money at stake
here.
(MORE)
89.
89.
SCHOTT (CONT'D)
And a lot of people with vested interest
in seeing this be successful. I've given
you a lot of flexibility. When are we
gonna start to see a change in these
results?
Schott sits back at his desk.
SCHOTT
Give me a date, give me a time frame.
BILLY
(TO PETER)
Where do we expect to be mid July All
Star break?
PETER
Our goal and our expectation by the All
Star break is to be within seven games of
first place.
BILLY
That'll keep us in the hunt.
PETER
And that would be this working
exceptionally well.
SCHOTT
7 within 500. By July. And what's going
to keep us from getting there?
BILLY
Nothing Steve.
SCHOTT
Nothing. We're 3 for 17 right now. You've
got to be able to give me a little bit
more to go back to my partners with.
BILLY
Listen, you hired me to do this job and
that's where we're going to be.
SCHOTT
That's not good enough.
BILLY
Well, let's go buy Barry Bonds, then.
This is the team we've got and this is
the team we'll win with.
90.
90.
SCHOTT
Billy, put yourself in my shoes. What do
you imagine is going to happen if things
don't turn around?
BILLY
It's very clear, Steve. If I put myself
in your shoes, I'd spend another 20
million on the team.
SCHOTT
We don't have another 20 million
BILLY
I'm just kidding, Steve, I'm just
kidding. We've got the team.
SCHOTT
I gotta be honest with you, Billy, I wish
you had a little more worry and a little
more fear. Because things aren't going in
our direction right now.
BILLY
162 games Steve.
SCHOTT
Let's hope the next 30 are better than
the last 30.
BILLY
I don't need to hope.
SCHOTT
All right fellas. Let's go try and win
one. We're in May, we've got til July.
88 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - DAY 88
The A's take batting practice.
LEGEND: May 23, 2002
89 INT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - DAY 89
ART, as he always does, is watching not from the railing
but from the bench.
BILLY walks into the dugout without saying hello.
BILLY
We're not gonna lose three at home to the
Orioles.
(MORE)
91.
91.
BILLY (CONT'D)
I want Dye in right, Justice DH-ing, Pena
on the bench, Hatteberg at first and
anyone but Magnante first out of the pen.
ART
You want Pena on the bench?
BILLY
That's right. So that you can play
Hatteberg.
ART
Hatte - as opposed to the guy who's going
to win Rookie of the Year.
BILLY
No, Hatte - as opposed to the guy who
gets on base less. Pena getting voted
Rookie of the Year and the A's making the
playoffs are two entirely different--
ART
Pena's not just the best first baseman on
the roster, he's the only first baseman
on the roster and the most valuable
member on this team.
BILLY
Not according to, what do you call `em,
facts.
ART
HATTEBERG--
BILLY
Listen to me--gets on base more than
Pena. 25% more.
ART
HIS FIELDING--
BILLY
His fielding doesn't matter.
ART
It does matter and Pena only has one
error in 70 games.
BILLY
Not only is that number statistically
insignificant but it's also subjective.
It measures what someone did against what
someone else thought they were supposed
to do.
92.
92.
ART
Part of the conversation? I've heard
enough of the conversation and I disagree
with you, plain and simple. Moreover, I
strongly believe that you're in the
middle of experiencing some sort of
personal crisis and you seem indifferent
to the fact that you're taking a whole
organization down with you. I'm playing
my team in a way I can explain in job
interviews this winter.
Some As players arrive in the dugout, causing Billy to
hold his tongue. He simply says -
BILLY
Hatte, not Pena.
90 INT. WEIGHT ROOM - NIGHT 90
The game plays silently on the TV as Billy lifts weights.
Not wanting to watch but not being able not to, he looks
at the screen to see Pena trotting out to first base ...
91 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - LATER - NIGHT 91
The Orioles' bench clears to high-five the players coming
off the field. The game is over, and, obviously, they've
won. The A's exit their dugout to the tunnels.
92 INT. ART'S OFFICE - LATER - NIGHT 92
As Art crosses to his office, he sees Billy waiting
inside it with a towel around his neck. He hesitates,
then goes in and we follow him. Billy says nothing, but
his silence is worse. Art has to break it -
ART
It's just one game.
BILLY
That's the point, you think?
ART
The point is always tomorrow's game.
BILLY
No, the point - as you said - is to win.
I don't like sharing the cellar with
Texas, do you?
We hear FUNK MUSIC begin to play in the distance.
93.
93.
ART
I'm doing the best I can with what I've
got. I'm playing the players I've got.
BILLY
I'm through talking.
93 INT. CLUB HOUSE LOCKER ROOM - NIGHT 93
Billy lets himself out and walks down the hall to the
locker room - regards Jeremy Giambi -
JEREMY
Yeah!
He's not even aware of Billy. It's just like any other
night as far as Jeremy Giambi is concerned. He dances to
a CD of funk music as he dresses, until he becomes aware
of Billy standing there, and smiling, he kills the music.
JEREMY
(NERVOUS LAUGH)
What?
BILLY
Getting swept by the Red Sox at home.
Having Long lead off the ninth with a
triple in a one-run game and not being
able to score a runner from first with
nobody out, is that fun?
JEREMY
No.
BILLY
Then what the fuck are you having fun
for?!
(CALMLY)
This is what losing sounds like.
He heads out.
94 OMITTED 94
95 INT. BILLY'S TRUCK - NIGHT 95
PETER V/O
...point 3-5 below the AL average field
which isn't bad.
(BEAT)
Billy?
94.
94.
BILLY
Yeah?
CUT TO:
96 PETER IN THE VIDEO ROOM - SAME TIME 96
Peter rattles off player stats.
PETER
Cruz -- .283, .347, .476. Stevens --
.244, .349, .560. Miner -- .272, .349,
.499. Hanson -- .280, .363, .450.
Baretta -- .273, .354, .497. Durazo --
.292, .395, .621. What do you think?
(THEN)
Billy?
BILLY (V.O.)
(BEAT)
I don't know where I am.
PETER
You okay?
BILLY (V.O.)
I missed my exit.
CUT TO:
A97 INT. BILLY'S TRUCK - NIGHT A97
Billy takes the next off ramp and as LIGHTS FLARE on the
windshield, we transition to ANOTHER TIME, YOUNG BILLY
DRIVING --
B97 INT. CAR - MOVING - NIGHT - 1989 B97
Billy and his wife drive home from a game in silence,
their infant daughter Casey asleep in a car seat in back.
Sharon regards Billy's hands, clutched too tightly to the
steering wheel.
SHARON
Have you thought about what you might do
if baseball doesn't work out?
BILLY
(PAUSE)
What?
SHARON
That was too abrupt.
95.
95.
BILLY
No.
(PAUSE)
What?
SHARON
(BEAT)
If baseball doesn't work out. Have you
thought about what you might do?
BILLY
(BEAT)
The game's only been over for three
hours, I haven't had that much time to
think about it.
SHARON
Sure.
(BEAT)
Maybe real estate.
BILLY
I'll be honest, if I don't make it in
baseball I don't think I'm going to be
able to afford much real estate.
SHARON
I MEANT--
BILLY
I know what you meant.
SHARON
(PAUSE)
It's just a slump, right?
BILLY
(BEAT)
No.
SHARON
You're saying every scout was wrong?
BILLY
You're kind of saying it too.
SHARON
BILLY--
BILLY
Honey...don't you think you should
divorce me now while you're young?
SHARON looks at him... then her eyes go to the window.
96.
96.
COMMENTATOR (PRELAP)
When a science experiment fails in a lab,
things blow up.
97 OMITTED 97
IN BLACK:
Problems are the price you pay for progress.
- Branch Rickey
98 INT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - CORRIDOR - DAY 98
Billy shoves a wad of Copenhagen under his lip as he and
Peter walk-and-talk.
BILLY
Get me Wade.
PETER
Why.
BILLY
Get him.
PETER
Why.
BILLY
Get him.
A99 INT. BILLY'S OFFICE - DAY A99
Billy's seated at his desk. Peter reluctantly dials a
number from a list, the number across from the Phillies'
GM's name. It connects on the speaker.
WADE V/O
Hello?
BILLY
Ed. Billy. I need some help on defense
and I'm willing to trade Jeremy Giambi
for it.
PETER
No, you (aren't) -
BILLY
(ignoring Peter; to
WADE)
Who you got?
97.
97.
WADE V/O
Let me think.
PETER
What are you doing? Jeremy's doing
(GREAT) -
BILLY
Cleaning house.
WADE V/O
Maybe?
BILLY
Maybe what?
WADE V/O
No. Mabry.
BILLY
Hang on.
(put the call on
HOLD)
Mabry?
PETER
I don't know.
BILLY
Yes, you do.
PETER
Runs hot and cold, Billy. Impossible to
know what we're going to get. He's a crap
shoot. He's exactly the kind of player
we're not looking for.
BILLY
(into the phone)
He'll be fine, Ed.
WADE V/O
Why do I get the feeling you're picking
my pocket?
BILLY
I'm not picking your pocket, you're
picking mine. Giambi's name alone is
worth more than Mabry.
WADE V/O
You realize -
98.
98.
BILLY
(INTO PHONE)
I do. His career is stagnant, to put it
nicely. Can we say it's done in theory
and start drawing up paperwork?
WADE V/O
Okay. But -
BILLY
Great.
He hangs up.
PETER
I think he was going to say something
else.
BILLY
Peter. Rule Number 3: When you get the
answer you're looking for - hang up.
That's done, and in a minute Pena's going
to Detroit.
PETER
I don't think you want to do that.
BILLY
Art can't put him at first if he's
playing for the Tigers and I want Hatte
in the lineup tonight.
PETER
Maybe you should think about this.
You're upset and this is - this -
BILLY
What am I missing?
PETER
It's just a very hard move to explain.
People are going to think you've lost
your mind.
BILLY
Why's that a problem Peter?
Beat.
PETER
Don't make an emotional decision Billy.
SUZANNE
David Dombrowski's on 3.
99.
99.
Billy picks up the call.
BILLY
(TO PETER)
Sometimes you have to shake it up.
(INTO PHONE)
David, Pe�a's going on the blocks,
you're my first call... because he's
making the rest of the team look bad...
He's going to be rookie of the year...
PETER
(not eager to help
but...)
Probably an all star.
BILLY
He's an all star Dave...
(winks at Peter,
LISTENS)
It's more like he's creating self-esteem
problems for the other guys... No, I'm
looking for a reliever and some cash...
Ok... five minutes Dave, I'm not waiting.
(HANGS UP)
What's the problem?
PETER
(trying to slow it
DOWN)
Billy, Pe�a is an all star. If you dump
him, and if Hatte doesn't work out, you
know, this is the kind of decision that
gets you fired.
BILLY
Why you worrying about my job?
(BEAT)
You worried about my job or yours?
PETER
(BEAT)
I'm worried about yours.
BILLY
Well you should be worrying about yours
because if this thing we're doing don't
work... neither of us have jobs.
PETER
That's probably true.
100.
100.
BILLY
In which case I'm a 44 year old guy with
a high-school diploma and a daughter who
I'd like to be able to put through
college one day.
(lets it sink in)
You're 25 years old with a degree from
Yale and a pretty impressive
apprenticeship.
(BEAT)
I don't think we're asking the right
question. I think the question we're
supposed to be asking now is, do you
believe in what we're doing or not?
(BEAT)
It's a problem that you think we need to
explain ourselves. Don't... to anyone.
I'm going to see this through, for better
or for worse. Just tell me, do you
project we'll win more games with Pe�a or
Hatteberg on first?
PETER
It's close Billy but theoretically
Hatteberg.
BILLY
What are we talking about then?
The phone rings.
BILLY
Dave.
(LISTENS)
That works. Great. There's just one more
thing I need. I don't want the guys
paying for soda--I want you to stock my
soda machine for three years. Uh huh, uh
huh, great... then that's a deal.
Billy hangs up. He stares at Peter.
PETER
That was thoughtful.
BILLY
Yeah. Okay. You gotta tell Pena to pack.
PETER
You want me to tell Pena he's been
traded?
BILLY
Be a man.
101.
101.
PETER
What about Jeremy? Am I telling him,
too.
BILLY
No. I'll do that.
B99 INT. LOCKER ROOM B99
Peter walks into the locker room. Sees Pena talking to a
couple of other players. He approaches Pena.
PETER
Hey, Carlos.
PENA
Yeah.
PETER
Can I get a moment with you?
PENA
Sure.
PETER
Okay, maybe we can talk over here.
They walk awkwardly to the players' lounge.
PETER
Have a seat.
They sit.
PETER
So, um, Carlos, you've been traded to the
Tigers. This is the number of Jay Palmer,
their travel secretary. He's expecting
your call. He'll help you arrange travel
to Detroit.
Pena sits and stares at him. It's excruciating for Peter,
awkward, until --
PENA
Is that all?
PETER
Yeah.
PENA
Cool.
Pena just takes it. Picks up the number and leaves.
102.
102.
99 INT. ART'S OFFICE - LATER - DAY 99
Billy knocks and lets himself in.
BILLY
Mind if I have a seat.
ART
Please.
BILLY
You can't start Pena at first tonight,
you'll have to start Hatteberg.
ART
I don't want to go 15 rounds, Billy, the
line-up card is mine and that's all.
BILLY
The line-up card is definitely yours, I'm
just saying you can't start Pena at
first.
ART
I am starting Pena at first.
BILLY
I don't think so, he plays for the
Detroit Tigers now.
ART
(PAUSE)
You traded Pena?!
BILLY
Along with German, Hiljus and Jeremy
Giambi.
ART
You are outside your fucking mind.
Art stares at him in a silence broken by Jeremy Giambi
knocking on the open door.
BILLY
Jeremy, come on in.
Billy jots a phone number on an A's Post-It and hands it
to him.
BILLY
This is Ed Wade's number. You know him?
Art looks sick.
103.
103.
JEREMY
No.
BILLY
Phillies General Manager. Real nice guy.
Give him a call - he's expecting it - say
hello - then talk to Futterman about
arranging a flight for you.
JEREMY
The what?
BILLY
The flight. To Philadelphia.
Billy gets up and shakes his hand.
BILLY
It's been a real pleasure, Jeremy. I
mean that. You're a great ballplayer and
great guy.
Jeremy, not sure he heard right, looks at the Post-It in
his hand as Billy escorts him to the door.
BILLY
We're going to miss you.
Jeremy leaves. Billy looks at Art from the door.
BILLY
Adkins is gone, too.
ART
You're killing this team.
BILLY
Art? I can do this all day long.
He leaves. Art notices Peter, who had been lurking by the
door, eavesdropping.
ART
What are you looking at?
PETER
I'm not looking at anything.
ART
You went along with this? You agree with
this bullshit?
PETER
(BEAT)
A hundred percent.
104.
104.
A100 INT. LOCKER ROOM - DAY A100
Pena cleans out his locker. Several players stop by to
say goodbye. Tejada --
TEJADA
Keep your head up, okay? It's part of
the business. You're gonna be a great
player, okay?
PENA
Thank you, man.
TEJADA
Don't let this bother you at all.
Chad Bradford --
CHAD
Nice to meet you, brother. Take care
and... God bless you, man.
PENA
Thank you.
Scott Hatteberg --
HATTEBERG
You're the best first baseman here. It's
not right, Carlos.
PENA
Thank you, Hattie.
HATTEBERG
Yeah.
100 INT. LOCKER ROOM - DAY 100
BILLY and PETER stride through as the team is getting
dressed for batting practice.
The place quiets down as BILLY comes in. They've all
heard the news and they've never experienced a move like
this in their careers.
BILLY
(CALLING OUT)
Scottie H.!
SCOTT
Yes sir.
BILLY
Go out and field some grounders.
105.
105.
BILLY looks around at the PLAYERS, who are looking at
Billy...
BILLY
Everybody, listen up. You may not look
like a winning ball team. In fact, you
look nothing like a winning ball team.
But you are one. So play like one
tonight. You'll get further instructions
tomorrow.
CUT TO:
101 EXT. THE FIELD - NIGHT (HYBRID) 101
DAVID JUSTICE hits a single up the middle as the runners
on 2nd and 3rd round the bases to score.
102 INT. WEIGHT ROOM - SAME TIME 102
BILLY's blackberry buzzes.
"Sngl up the mdl--2 rns scr"
BILLY
Okay.
A103 INT. WEIGHT ROOM - NIGHT A103
Billy talks to Chavez and Ellis. Peter stands nearby.
BILLY
No more bunts.
CHAVEZ
No more bunts?
BILLY
A bunt is an out. You're paid to avoid
outs, not make them.
CHAVEZ
A bunt isn't an out. It's a sacrifice.
BILLY
A bunt is for pitchers and weak hitters.
You're not a pitcher, Chavvie, so what
are you saying?
(THEN)
Until the third out, anything can happen.
After the third out, it's over. You
gotta protect your outs like they're your
children. Every out's precious, don't
give `em away.
(THEN)
(MORE)
106.
106.
BILLY (CONT'D)
Another thing -- you should see more
pitches. We wanna get into their
bullpen. Deep into their bullpen. We
want to see 100 pitches by the end of the
5th inning. You wanna get your at-bats
off their 10th and 11th pitcher.
ELLIS
You want us to walk more. How much more?
BILLY
Pete?
PETER
At least once every ten at bats.
ELLIS
Or...?
BILLY
Triple-A Sacramento's only 80 miles away.
And there's no flights.
(as they look to
PETER)
Don't look at him. Here's the deal. I'm
not interested in what you think you know
about baseball, or what you think I don't
know about it. I'm not interested in
guts or heart or determination or
anything else the fans or your mothers
love about you. I'm interested in you
getting on base. If you do that, we win.
If you don't, we lose. And I hate to
lose. I hate to lose more than I need to
win. There's a difference.
B103 INT. VIDEO ROOM - DAY B103
Billy and Peter give advice to Dye and Byrnes.
PETER
Every at bat is like a hand of blackjack.
Every card that's dealt, your odds
completely change. For instance, every
first pitch strike, your batting average
goes down about 75 points.
BILLY
75 points.
PETER
75 points. Every first pitch ball, it
goes up about the same amount. So you
gotta lay off the first pitch.
107.
107.
BYRNES
First pitch curveball or first pitch
fastball?
PETER
First pitch period. When you swing at
the first pitch you're batting .140.
BILLY
We want to see more pitches.
DYE
How many pitches?
PETER
Every starter, we want to see 100 pitches
by the 5th inning.
DYE
So... 5, 6 pitches per at bat?
PETER
Yeah. I mean, Hatteberg drained 38
pitches.
BILLY
And Byrnsie, you're hackin' at
everything. You're all squirrely out
there. Wait for your pitch, man. This
is a war of attrition. There's no clock
on this thing. Wait `em out. Let them
make the mistakes. And when your enemy's
making mistakes -- don't interrupt them.
C103 INT. WEIGHT ROOM - DAY C103
Peter advises Durham as he works out.
PETER
Basically, these are all your at bats.
This is you versus righties, you versus
lefties... and then, of course, all your
count knowledge, okay? In an 0-0 count
you're batting .290. In an 0-1 you
average .238. In a 0-2, .159. When
you're 1-0, you're batting .324.
Understand what I'm saying?
DURHAM
Not really.
PETER
I know, it's a lot of math. When your
first pitch is a strike, your batting
average goes down about 70 points.
(MORE)
108.
108.
PETER (CONT'D)
When it's a ball, it goes up about 30.
If you draw a ball on your first pitch,
you're unstoppable. If you strike on the
first pitch, you might as well be jumping
off cliff. I'm trying to get you to lay
off the first pitch.
DURHAM
But I'm a first pitch hitter. I like to
swing at fastballs.
PETER
And that's the way you've been trained.
But it's a habit we'd like to break you
from. We're trying to design the game to
your strengths. This has nothing to do
with you being a great hitter -- you're a
great hitter. We just want to get you on
base.
DURHAM
But if I get my pitch, I'm gonna swing at
it, no matter what the count is.
PETER
I'm not worried about you crushing the
ball out of the park. I just want you to
lay off anything that will result in a
strike.
DURHAM
I guess I'll have to watch some film and
take a look at it.
PETER
Absolutely. The video room is open to
you any time, I'm always available.
103 INT. A'S LOCKER ROOM - NIGHT 103
BILLY and PETER with a group of players around the card
table, post-game.
PETER
-- But seriously. Make him use up all
his bullets.
BILLY
Yeah, make him work.
HATTEBERG
So... Mr. Beane?
BILLY
Billy's fine.
109.
109.
HATTEBERG
BILLY --
BILLY
Nah, make it Mr. Beane.
HATTEBERG
Mr. Beane --
BILLY
I'm screwin' with you, Haddie.
HATTEBERG
So we just don't steal?
BILLY
That's right.
LONG
That's what I do. That's what you pay me
to do.
BILLY
No, I pay you to get on first, not get
thrown out at second.
LONG
I don't get thrown out much.
BILLY
I don't hit on 17 at the blackjack table,
but if I did, the odds would be the same.
PETER
You've actually gotten caught 6 out of 17
tries this season.
LONG
I get 11 of 17. That's not bad.
BILLY
You just handed them an out. Protect
your outs like they're your children.
There's no clock on this game. Until the
third out, anything can happen. Get on
base and let the next guy move you up.
Pass the torch, pass the torch. We're
like a machine. A run making machine.
A104 INT. LOCKER ROOM - KITCHEN - DAY A104
As JUSTICE and HATTEBERG prepare food --
JUSTICE
What's your biggest fear?
110.
110.
SCOTT
A baseball being hit in my general
direction.
JUSTICE
That's funny.
(THEN)
No, seriously.
SCOTT
Seriously.
104 INT. OAKLAND COLISEUM BATTING CAGE - DAY 104
BILLY
Hey, Dave. I've been thinking... I want
you to --
JUSTICE
You gonna teach me something?
BILLY
Excuse me?
JUSTICE
I've never seen a GM talk to players.
BILLY
You've never seen a GM who was a player.
JUSTICE
Huh.
BILLY
Is there a problem?
JUSTICE
It's okay, man. I know your routine. It's
a patter, it's rap, it's for effect.
That's okay. But it's for them, it's not
for me.
BILLY
You're special?
JUSTICE
You're paying me 7 million bucks so I
guess I am a little.
BILLY
As a matter of fact I'm not paying you 7
million bucks, David. The Yankees are
paying half your salary. That's what the
New York Yankees think of you.
(MORE)
111.
111.
BILLY (CONT'D)
They're paying you three and a half
million dollars to play against them.
If this is news to Justice, he doesn't show it.
JUSTICE
Where are you going with this, Billy?
BILLY
You're almost 37, Dave. Almost as old as
me. Let's be honest with each other
about what we each want. I want to milk
the last ounce of baseball you have left
in you, and you want to stay in the show.
So let's do that. I'm not paying you to
be the player you used to be, I'm paying
you to be the player you are now. You're
smart, you know what's going on here. I
need you to set an example for the
younger guys. Take a leadership role.
Justice just studies him ... then nods.
BILLY
We're cool?
JUSTICE
We're cool.
BILLY
All right.
Billy starts to leave, but has one last thought for him --
BILLY
You know -- the Yankees are coming to
town. If it were me -- I'd want to take
that three point five and shove it up
their ass. But I'm a competitor.
Billy exits. Justice calls after him --
JUSTICE
You know, I got a couple World Series
rings. I think I'm a pretty good
competitor, too.
BILLY
(CALLING BACK)
You want another one?
CUT TO:
112.
112.
105 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - NIGHT 105
DAVID JUSTICE takes ball four from a Yanks pitcher,
tosses his bat to the side and trots down to first base.
CUT TO:
106 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - NIGHT 106
TEJADA is on first and taking a big lead toward second.
He wants to steal it bad.
ANNOUNCER (VO)
Tejada taking a big lead off first,
eyeing the steal--
107 INT. CLUBHOUSE MANAGER'S OFFICE - NIGHT 107
BILLY watches with two or three TEAM EMPLOYEES.
BILLY
Don't do it, Migs.
108 EXT. FIELD - NIGHT 108
And CRACK--a base hit sends Tejada to 3rd.
109 INT. CLUBHOUSE MANAGER'S OFFICE - NIGHT 109
BILLY's blackberry buzzes:
Sngl to lft. Frst and thrd--nobody out.
BILLY
Thank you.
110 EXT. AIRPLANE - IN FLIGHT 110
The wheels of the team jet lift off--
111 INT. BILLY'S OFFICE - NIGHT 111
The TV is on as BILLY and PETER work, seeming more and
more like mad scientists who are getting closer and
closer to splitting the atom.
GREG PAPA OR RAY FOSSE (TV)
What is happening in Oakland?!! The A's
have won seven in a row and 15 of their
last 19. You got to hand it to Art Howe.
He's managing this unorthodox team in an
unorthodox way. They are not bunting.
They are not stealing. They are just
winning. And Art Howe is the reason.
113.
113.
PETER
Did you hear that?
BILLY
I heard 7 in a row.
Billy clicks off the TV and it's very quiet. Billy is
scrolling down numbers that show trends and comparisons
of all of the A's relief pitching.
BILLY
Can you show me righty-lefty matchups for
the division and overall versus Mariners?
Peter reaches over and with a few clicks produces new
columns of numbers, upon which Billy darts his eyes as he
scrolls through them. Finally -
BILLY
Okay.
He gets up and heads out.
A112 INT. LOCKER ROOM - AFTERNOON A112
BILLY walks through the clubhouse, shouting locker room
shoutouts to PLAYERS as he walks by.
BILLY
Voos.
VOOS
Billy.
BILLY
(pointing back down
HALL)
That smell is getting worse.
VOOS
I'm on it, Billy.
BILLY
(TO HERNANDEZ)
What are we doing tonight?
HERNANDEZ
Splitting the plate in half.
BILLY
Both sides.
(to Hudson, playing
CARDS)
Huddy, you gotta mix it up tonight.
Trust your slider.
114.
114.
HUDSON
Yes sir.
BILLY
(to the others)
You guys stop distracting him.
(TO CHAVEZ)
Chavvie -- you couldn't hit that shit
with a boat paddle last night. You gotta
see more pitches. Patience.
CHAVEZ
You got it, Billy.
As Billy crosses through the weight room --
BILLY
(TO JUSTICE)
Hey David --
JUSTICE
Hey, man.
BILLY
Great at bats. Really. Quality.
JUSTICE
Thank you.
112 INT. ART'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS 112
BILLY knocks on Art's door -- something we haven't seen
him do before.
ART can see BILLY through the window blinds and is a
little surprised at the courtesy of a knock.
ART
Come in.
BILLY does. He's going to try to do this nicely.
BILLY
How are ya?
ART
Good. You knocked.
BILLY
I did, and I hope you take it as a show
of respect.
ART
We'll see.
115.
115.
BILLY
You look good.
ART
We've won 7 in a row, what am I doing
wrong now?
BILLY
Absolutely nothing.
ART
Good.
BILLY
But.
ART
Yeah.
BILLY
Magnante's having some head problems.
ART
Head problems.
BILLY
Yeah.
ART
Okay.
BILLY
He's 37 and he's got three blown saves in
two weeks. Everytime he winds up he's
thinking he's about to throw the last
pitch of his life. So he grips it a
little hard.
ART
I appreciate this.
BILLY
Sure.
ART
But I know my bullpen.
BILLY
Yes you do. Yes you absolutely do. No
question about it. Except not really.
ART
Yeah?
116.
116.
BILLY
If we have a lead late in the game and
they have runners on base, I'd rather not
see Magnante out of the bullpen.
ART
I'll make that decision when the time
comes.
BILLY
That's what you should do. Baseball's a
game of situations and you should make
the decision when the time comes. Except
you should make it now.
ART
LOOK--
BILLY
Don't bring Magnante out if we've gotta
hold a late lead with runners on. He's
37, he's scared shitless of being the guy
who blows this winning streak.
ART
You think a lot of yourself, don't you?
BILLY
I......think the regular amount of
myself. Magnante on the other hand, he
doesn't think very much of himself at
all, and when he tightens up we've got
ourselves an adventure. So I'd like to
see Chad Bradford out of the pen tonight
when we're in, let's say, just to make it
easier for you, any situation.
Righty/lefty, two outs, no outs, the
umpires have decided we're going to
finish the game by playing darts,
whatever. Bradford's the first guy out of
the pen.
(BEAT)
Okay?
ART regards BILLY for a moment...
ART
I could've coached you up, you know.
BILLY
I don't think so.
ART
You think you went as far as you could
have?
117.
117.
BILLY
(PAUSE)
Yeah, that's what I meant. Play Bradford.
BILLY steps out of Art's office into--
113 INT. WEIGHT ROOM - LATER - NIGHT 113
The game plays on TV as BILLY bench presses. The A's are
up by three runs in the ninth inning but the Indians have
a runner on first.
Through the tunnel, BILLY can hear the crack of the bat
and a collective groan from the stands.
BILLY holds the barbell in the air--frozen--as he simply
looks at the T.V. and sees the silent images.
114 EXT. FIELD - NIGHT (HYBRID) 114
ART HOWE walking to the mound, tapping his left hand.
MAGNANTE heading to the mound.
115 INT. WEIGHT ROOM - NIGHT 115
We think BILLY's going to trash the weights, but he
simply returns the barbell to the bracket, sits up and
watches the silent images.
116 EXT. FIELD - NIGHT (HYBRID) 116
MAGNANTE mops his brow, squints for the sign, winds up
and makes his pitch. It misses low for ball four and
PEDRO walks to first.
117 INT. WEIGHT ROOM - NIGHT 117
Billy lays back on the bench, breathes, then unmutes the
T.V. and we hear -
ANNOUNCER (FROM TV)
Magnante has quickly let two on base for
Lee Stevens who's the go ahead run for
the Indians in a game that Oakland
appeared to have put away.
And then - BILLY sits calmly...waits for it...and--
CRACK!
--BILLY nods his head at the inevitable.
118.
118.
ANNOUNCER (FROM TV)
That ball is deep....way back...three run
homer for Lee Stevens to put Cleveland
ahead in the ninth inning...
BILLY can hear 40,000 people booing their lungs out. He
takes a moment, then grabs his jacket.
118 EXT. FIELD - NIGHT 118
The FANS are booing as ART makes his way to the mound to
take MAGNANTE out. BRADFORD makes his way from the
bullpen and takes the ball from ART.
ART turns to head back to the dugout but slows as he sees
a strange sight: BILLY is standing at the dugout rail.
The plate UMPIRE notices and follows Art's line of sight.
He sees BILLY and walks over there ahead of Art.
UMPIRE
You can't be in there, Billy.
BILLY doesn't move. He just watches ART as he comes into
the dugout.
UMPIRE
Billy?
The PLAYERS are watching to see what's going to happen.
BILLY puts his hand on ART's shoulder a second as he says-
-
BILLY
Just nod a little bit--not too much--like
I'm assuring you you didn't just make a
calamitous vocational decision.
UMPIRE
Players and coaches only, Billy.
BILLY
(ignoring the umpire--
still quietly to
ART)
Remember that in about four seconds--
BILLY sees one of the nearby TV cameras pivot over to
catch this conversation--
BILLY
--yeah there it is. We're the lead story
on Sports Center now so let me be brief.
First of all, that was an awfully costly
fuck-you, wouldn't you say?
119.
119.
ART
LOOK--
BILLY
Second of all, genius, those boos?
They're for you. Drink up.
UMPIRE
Come on, Billy.
BILLY
Get me this game back.
As BILLY passes MAGNANTE he pats his back before we--
CUT TO:
119 INT. BILLY'S TRUCK - NIGHT 119
The radio is on and the ANNOUNCER is telling us--
ANNOUNCER (FROM RADIO)
...after giving up the lead on a three
run homer off Magnante, the A's came
right back to win it in the bottom of the
ninth with another three run homer by
Miguel Tejada. And the A's have won eight
in a row!
AA120 OMITTED AA120
A120 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - DAY A120
As the early-bird fanatics arrive - players arrive at the
players' entrance -
B120 INT. LOCKER ROOM - COLISEUM - DAY B120
Magnante walks into the A's locker room.
C120 OMITTED C120
D120 INT. LOCKER ROOMS - COLISEUM - SAME TIME - DAY D120
Billy, standing at the door, surveys the room, his eyes
moving from player to player as they're hanging up their
street clothes. The team's equipment manager, pouring
himself a cup of coffee, glances over -
VOOS
You want one, Billy?
BILLY
I'm good, Voos. Thanks.
120.
120.
Voos wanders off. Billy keeps looking at the players ...
LEGEND: July 31 - TRADE DEADLINE
E120 INT. SCOUTS ROOM - MOMENTS LATER - DAY E120
Billy comes in sticking some tobacco under his lip and,
like a shark that knows it could die if it stops moving,
doesn't through the entire scene --
BILLY
Suzanne, get Shapiro on the phone.
PETER
Are you thinking Rincon?
BILLY
Yeah, he's lost faith for the season. I
think he's gonna dump him.
PETER
Hardcore.
They wait as Suzanne dials the Indians' GM, staring at
the speakerphone that sits like a little island in the
middle of the conference table.
SUZANNE
Shapiro on two.
BILLY
Mark. Billy. Let's be honest. A
premiere setup man is not going to get
you any closer to the playoffs.
SHAPIRO V/O
Are you referring to Rincon?
BILLY
He's a luxury you can't afford.
SHAPIRO V/O
And you can? There's half a million on
his contract and at least one other
suitor.
BILLY
By at least one, you mean one? Who is
it?
SHAPIRO V/O
I'd rather not say.
121.
121.
PETER
(WHISPERS)
San Francisco.
BILLY
I'll call you back.
He hangs up. Stares down Peter.
PETER
What do you think we can get for
Magnante?
BILLY
Nothing.
(continues to stare
DOWN PETER)
What's left on Venafro's contract?
PETER
Two-seventy-five.
BILLY
Suzanne -- get me Sabean.
(THEN)
If we can get San Francisco interested in
Venafro, Shapiro's only got one buyer for
Rincon.
PETER
Us.
Pete gets busy on his computer.
SUZANNE
On three.
BILLY
Sabes. Billy. You like Venafro. I can
let you have him for almost nothing.
SABEAN V/O
(smelling a rat)
Why would you do that, Billy?
BILLY
Because I'm amazing.
SABEAN V/O
Uh-huh.
BILLY
All I want is a couple of bucks and a
sweetener. Throw in, say...
122.
122.
Billy snaps his fingers at Peter --
PETER
Anderson.
BILLY
Anderson.
SABEAN V/O
I like Anderson.
BILLY
No, you don't. I don't even like him. I
don't know why I'm doing this -- but let's
do it anyway. Venafro for Michaelson?
PETER
Anderson.
BILLY
Anderson. See, I don't even know his
name.
SABEAN V/O
I'll think (about) --
BILLY
Think about it and call me back.
He hangs up.
BILLY
Get Shapiro back on.
Billy and Pete stare at each other in silence.
SUZANNE
Two!
BILLY
MARK --
SHAPIRO V/O
You can't afford him, Billy.
BILLY
You sure about that? I get the
impression the market for Rincon is
softening. I could be wrong. Call
whoever's interested and make sure
they're still interested. And call me
back.
He hangs up.
123.
123.
BILLY
What about the Mets for Venafro?
PETER
You just offered him to the Giants.
BILLY
Suzanne -- Steve Phillips! Get me Steve
Phillips.
Pete works his computer.
BILLY
Between Bonds, Nen, Kent and Snow,
they're never gonna do it.
PETER
Totally agree.
BILLY
We just need them to cool on Rincon.
SUZANNE
Phillips on two.
BILLY
Steve-O. Billy. I hear you're looking
for a left-handed reliever. What do you
think of Venafro? I can make it quick
and easy for you.
PHILLIPS V/O
What's the angle?
BILLY
No angle.
PHILLIPS V/O
Who am I getting fleeced for?
BILLY
Hang on a second.
He puts him on hold. Peter is already scrolling through
the Mets' farm system, his eyes darting around the stats.
PETER
Bennett maybe?
BILLY
How old?
PETER
Twenty-six.
124.
124.
BILLY
Twenty-six and in Double-A? Forget it.
PETER
Duncan? No. Cerda? No. Furbush?
BILLY
Furbush?
(BEAT)
No.
PETER
Eckerton? Eckerton. Eckerton, that's
the guy.
Billy punches the phone off hold.
BILLY
Eckerton.
PHILLIPS V/O
Eckerton? I like Eckerton.
BILLY
You don't even know who Eckerton is.
The phone on Pete's desk rings. Peter answers a second
blinking line.
PETER
Hello?
PHILLIPS V/O
Is Venafro hurt?
PETER
Oh, hi.
BILLY
No, he's not hurt. He's fine. This is
just a situation for us.
PETER
It's Steve.
PHILLIPS V/O
Last couple of times out, he got
hammered.
BILLY
(MUTE)
I'm on with Steve.
(UNMUTE)
Not his fault. We misused him.
125.
125.
PETER
Steve Schott.
BILLY
Tell him to hold.
(to Steve Phillips)
Look. Steve. Here's the deal. I'm
being straight with you. I'm getting
Rincon. It's a done deal. It's done.
PHILLIPS V/O
I heard the Giants --
BILLY
No, the Giants want Venafro. And I told
them they can have him for Michaelson...
PETER
ANDERSON --
BILLY
-- but I'd rather deal with you. Because
you can give me Eckerton and two hundred
and twenty-five thousand cash and the
Giants can't.
Billy's look to Peter says, Doesn't hurt to ask. As they
listen to silence on Phillips' side of the call --
PETER
Yes, I understand it's impolite to keep
you holding.
PHILLIPS V/O
I'll think about it.
BILLY
Of course. Think. But whoever calls me
back first gets Venafro.
He hangs up. Looks for the blinking light that belongs
to his owner.
PETER
He hung up.
Silence. Then --
BILLY
If you could have the power of flight or
invisibility, which would you choose?
PETER
What?
126.
126.
BILLY
Invisibility or flight?
PETER
(THINKS)
Invisibility.
BILLY
That's what Casey said. Why?
PETER
You'd have total access. Besides,
everyone else would choose flight.
Quiet.
BILLY
Why isn't anybody calling?
The phone rings.
SUZANNE
Shapiro's on two.
Billy picks up. Listens. Fist pump.
BILLY
Great. Lemme talk to my owner. Call you
right back.
(THEN)
Get Steve.
PETER
Phillips or Schott?
BILLY
Why would I call Phillips back? Schott.
Tell him I'm on the other line.
PETER
Right.
Peter dials. Billy can't sit.
PETER
Mr. Schott, it's Peter Brand. Sorry I
left you on hold. Billy asked me to call
you back. He's on another line.
BILLY
Tell him we need two hundred and twenty-
five grand for Rincon.
127.
127.
PETER
Billy says he needs two hundred and
twenty-five thousand dollars for Ricardo
Rincon. Please?
(THEN)
Yes, I added the please.
(listens; to Billy)
No.
Billy thinks intensely. Finally --
BILLY
Tell him I'll pay it, but when I sell him
next year for twice that, I keep the
money.
PETER
Billy says he'll pay for Rincon himself,
sell him next year, and keep the profit.
Peter listens to whatever Steve Schott is saying, then --
PETER
Okay. Thank you.
(HANGS UP)
He says he'll pay for Rincon.
High five.
BILLY
Great! Shit. What are we forgetting?
(CALLING OUT)
Get me Shapiro!
-- as he grabs his cell phone and hits speed dial.
BILLY
Wait, never mind!
(beat, then into
PHONE)
Mark. Yeah, it's Billy. Here's the
deal. I don't want Rincon pitching
against me tonight. Tell him to change
his clothes. I got you the money and I
accept your gratitude. It's done.
He hangs up. Fist bump.
BILLY
We gotta let someone go. It's Mags.
It's gotta be Mags.
PETER
I call not it.
128.
128.
Billy dials an extension.
BILLY
Art. Billy. The good news is Ricardo
Rincon's heading over to the clubhouse.
The bad news is you got to tell Mags he
threw his last pitch for the Oakland A's
last night.
ART V/O
No.
BILLY
What do you mean, no.
ART V/O
No, as in no. I'm not doing it. You do
it. You did it, so you do it.
Art hangs up. Billy slams the speakerphone.
PETER
It's not the phone's fault. Suzanne,
we're gonna need a new speakerphone.
BILLY
We gotta catch Mags before Rincon comes
over.
He leaves.
F120 INT. A'S LOCKER ROOM - 20 MINUTES LATER F120
Billy comes through the clubhouse past his team suiting
up to where Magnante is adjusting his knee braces next to
his locker, and sits with him.
BILLY
MIKE --
MAGNANTE
Hey, Billy. I know I've been struggling
lately. But we're coming into the home
stretch, and I promise I'm gonna turn it
AROUND --
BILLY
-- I need you to stop getting dressed.
Magnante isn't sure he heard right, but the silence tells
him he did. Eventually -
MAGNANTE
Traded?
129.
129.
Billy shakes his head, no.
BILLY
I'm sorry for the crap news. I know it
hurts.
(THEN)
Mike. I can't have 26 guys in the
clubhouse.
Magnante nods.
MAGNANTE
Alright.
BILLY
Thanks.
Billy gets up to leave. As he exits, he sees Peter enter
with Rincon, standing with his new uniform in his arms,
looking like a prison inmate. Oops. Billy joins them.
BILLY
Hey, Ricardo.
RINCON
Hola, senor.
BILLY
Hola. Hey, I know this must seem a bit
sudden, but the Oakland A's have been
trying to get you for a long time.
You're gonna love it here. The guys are
fun.
PETER
Muy divertido.
RINCON
I pitch tonight?
BILLY
I don't know if you're gonna pitch
tonight. But you're on our team tonight.
RINCON
I no wanna pitch tonight.
BILLY
Right. So... where you from?
RINCON
Veracruz, Mexico.
130.
130.
BILLY
Well, you're a lot closer to home. Why
don't you hang out there for five menudos
and we'll get you a uniform and
everything.
(to side room)
Hey guys, clear the room, huh? Say hi to
Ricardo Rincon.
As the other players file out and say hello...
CUT TO:
G120 INT. RESTAURANT - NIGHT G120
Billy, Tara and Casey at dinner.
BILLY
Tara and me were thinking --
CASEY
Dad... Tara and I --
TARA
She is correct.
BILLY
Tara and I were thinking about going to
Point Reyes to the beach.
CASEY
That'd be fun.
TARA
Me go, too?
BILLY
And I'll work on my grammar.
CASEY
(beat, then)
Dad... are you going to lose your job?
BILLY
What? Where did you hear that, honey?
CASEY
The internet.
BILLY
No, I'm not going to lose my job. Don't
go on the internet or watch TV or read
the papers or talk to people.
131.
131.
CASEY
I'm not talking to people, I'm just
reading stuff.
BILLY
Don't worry. You don't believe me? Ask
Tara.
TARA
He's not (losing his job). Your dad is a
brilliant man. He's the best GM in
baseball.
CASEY
But say that you did -- just saying --
would you have to move away?
BILLY
No, honey. Absolutely not. And even if
I did, I'm not going anywhere. I told
you not to worry about me. People say a
lot of crazy things and they don't always
know what they're talking about. It's
just gossip. Like gossipers at school.
TARA
You can't always believe what you read.
Sometimes you need to scratch underneath
the surface and find who the authority
is.
BILLY
And once you do find out who the
authorities are, ignore them at all
costs.
TARA
You can always ask your dad.
BILLY
Everything's fine, honey. I'm not going
anywhere. The only way I would lose my
job is if someone was to give me a better
one. Don't worry about me, okay? Dad
knows what he's doing.
CASEY
Pinkie swear?
BILLY
Pinkie swear.
132.
132.
120 A GRAPHIC 120
of the AL West standings over A GAME BEING PLAYED--from
the start of the season until now--the teams shifting
positions as the "games-out" and winning percentage
numbers change like an adding machine, too fast for us to
really follow, but then:
The calculations abruptly lock and we're given enough
time to understand where we--and Oakland--are after 120
GAMES:
AL West GB WP
Seattle --- .610
Anaheim 2.0 .593
Oakland 4.5 .571
Texas 21.5 .427
REPORTER V/O
The A's begin this road trip on a 10 game
winning streak, picking up two games on
the Mariners and the Angels, and it
should be noted this is their longest
winning streak in six years heading into--
A121 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - DAY A121
A PITCH TRACKING CAMERA mounted in center field. ZOOM IN
to the lens...
B121 INT. VIDEO ROOM - DAY B121
Peter sits with Hatteberg, reviewing his hits on a
monitor.
PETER
This is a chart of what you should and
shouldn't be swinging at. These circles
represent different pitches. Red is hit,
blue is out, yellow's missed or foul,
green is chased, white taken. This is
you versus Conway. What do you see?
HATTEBERG
I'm chasing a lot of high and outside.
PETER
The red is where most hits happen.
That's where you want to be swinging.
You don't want to be swinging at the junk
at the top of the strike zone. We'd
rather take those strikes, `cause you're
not going to hit `em out of the park.
And you're good about that, patient.
(MORE)
133.
133.
PETER (CONT'D)
Right now you're averaging about 4
pitches per at-bat.
HATTEBERG
4 per bat?
PETER
Yeah, and that's great. One of the
reasons why we love you. You're draining
a pitcher's pitches. Now, guys like
Bonds and Jason Giambi average a little
over 5. That's top tier. Does this
chart make sense to you?
HATTEBERG
Yeah. I'll get on base more if I lay off
anything high. This is awesome. So you
have a breakdown of this from every game?
PETER
Every game. Your instincts are in the
right place. This isn't something they
teach you in little league. This is
something fundamental we're looking for --
how to wear out a pitcher's arm. If
you're about to face Conway and wondering
what you should and shouldn't swing at,
come in here and watch how you're
tending. You can click on any one of
these pitches and watch it happen.
Pretty great, right?
HATTEBERG
Show me some of the stuff I'm chasing up
high...
TIME LAPSE of hundreds of at bats registering and
changing modalities to produce graphs and numbers. PULL
OUT to reveal we're now in
C121 INT. VIDEO ROOM - LATER C121
Peter and Bradford review footage.
121 INT. BILLY'S OFFICE - DAY 121
Peter analyzes the data with Billy as they throw a ball
back and forth.
PETER
Everybody thinks the first pitch is
what's most important, but it's not.
It's the first two out of three pitches
that matter the most.
(MORE)
134.
134.
PETER (CONT'D)
The difference between 1-2 and 2-1 is the
difference between a scrub and an All
Star.
BILLY
So you're saying if we can get our guys
to lay off the first pitch it'll put us
in the driver's seat?
PETER
Any sort of extra discipline in the first
three pitches will help us.
A game is on TV in the background. Billy makes various
comments the the screen --
BILLY
That's a problem right there. Terrance
jogging to first.
(THEN)
Mr. Justice. That's what we pay you for.
(THEN)
Chad Bradford, you deceptive son of a
bitch, I love you.
(THEN)
He's a pain in the ass, but that Giambi
gets on base.
Another train of thought --
PETER
Hatteberg once had 18 walks in 30 at
bats.
BILLY
My whole career I only had eighteen
walks.
PETER
Actually... 11.
BILLY
Shut up.
And now we have QUICK SCENES OF BILLY TAKING PLAYERS
ASIDE --
122 LOCKER ROOM--BILLY AND TEJADA - DAY 122
BILLY
Migs, let's make a deal. I'll pay you
fifty bucks for every away fastball you
hit to opposite field, but you've gotta
pay me fifty for every one of those you
pull.
135.
135.
Tejada immediately starts thinking about it.
123 INT. LOCKER ROOM - DAY 123
TERRANCE LONG is working out. Billy pokes his head in.
BILLY
Hey, T. Did your car get egged?
LONG
Yeah.
BILLY
I think I just got an e-mail from the
culprit. He said he was tired of paying
good money just to watch you jogging
around the bases.
LONG
What the hell does that have to do with
anything?
BILLY
I don't know, man. Don't worry about it.
Billy exits. Long calls after --
LONG
Who brings eggs to the ballpark anyway?!
A124 INT. CLUBHOUSE HALLWAY - DAY A124
Billy and Mecir walk down the hall with the smelly stain.
BILLY
Man, you're not fooling anyone but
yourself out there. You're falling
further and further behind. In your
mind, what's the problem?
Mecir mumbles something.
BILLY
I can't understand you with your hand
over your mouth.
MECIR
Sorry, Billy. It's just, the smell...
BILLY
Right?
(INDICATES STAIN)
It's that. And it's growing.
They stare at the stain in silence. Finally --
136.
136.
MECIR
I'm gonna grab a shower.
BILLY
Yup.
124 OMITTED 124
125 INT. OAKLAND COLISEUM CLUB HOUSE - DAY 125
Hatteberg in the clubhouse. Billy enters.
BILLY
Hey, Scottie. What's on your mind?
HATTEBERG
I feel like I'm hurting the team. At
first base I'm making a lot of errors.
I'm gonna cost us a hundred runs.
BILLY
16.5 actually. But as a hitter, you will
create 70 runs. 70 runs wins us an awful
lot of ball games. I can live with that.
Can you live with that?
HATTEBERG
I appreciate that, but I know you're just
pulling those numbers out of your ass.
BILLY
I'm pulling them out of Pete's, actually.
(THEN)
And another thing. When a guy reaches
first base, be social.
HATTEBERG
Social?
BILLY
Like a greeter at the Gap. A guy steps
into your office, chat him up. You're
well read, you went to college. Have
some fun out there. Relax.
HATTEBERG
Yes sir.
BILLY
Scottie, you deserve to be here.
126 INT. BILLY'S OFFICE - DAY 126
PETER is erasing the percentage of games left that they
need to win and writing in a LOWER number--
137.
137.
BILLY
More information.
TIME LAPSE PHOTOGRAPHY of all of the changes to the board
over the following two weeks.
127 OMITTED 127
A128 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - DAY A128
It's the Twins vs. the A's. A TWINS PLAYER stands at
first, stoic. Scott figures "What the hell?" and turns
to him.
HATTEBERG
What are you guys getting up to tonight?
The focused Twins player looks at Scott like he's crazy.
TWINS PLAYER #1
Bed by ten o'clock. Game time.
HATTEBERG
I don't buy it.
TWINS PLAYER #1
I'm sore, man. Beat up. Day in, day
out.
HATTEBERG
Where d'you guys go next?
TWINS PLAYER #1
Houston.
HATTEBERG
Houston?
(THEN)
You ever get up to Boundary Waters up
there in Minnesota? It's beautiful. I
went on a trip up there. Fishing trip.
Caught some walleye.
TWINS PLAYER #1
That's good fishing.
CUT TO:
Scott chatting with a DIFFERENT TWIN on first.
HATTEBERG
"Mankevich" is polish?
TWINS PLAYER #2
Yes, sir.
138.
138.
Crack! The ball's in play. It's thrown to Hatteberg,
who tags out the stunned player.
CUT TO:
A DIFFERENT TWIN is on first.
HATTEBERG
Where'd you go to school?
TWINS PLAYER #3
University of Arizona.
HATTEBERG
What are you guys getting up to tonight?
TWINS PLAYER #3
See what the city's about -- San
Francisco. What are you up to?
HATTEBERG
I don't know. Depends on if we beat you
today. Probably celebrating.
(THEN)
So my GM says I gotta be more social.
What was your name?
TWINS PLAYER #3
Jaqcue.
HATTEBERG
I'm Scott.
TWINS PLAYER #3
How are you doing, Scott?
HATTEBERG
Pretty good. You got kids?
TWINS PLAYER #3
Yeah...
Crack! Hatteberg catches the ball, making another out.
128 GRAPHICS 128
The standings graphic shows the A's have just moved up
into a three-way tie for first place--
139.
139.
REPORTER
Oakland's offense has exploded, scoring
40 runs in their last four games and
extending their streak to 17 in a row
which is an American League record going
back to 1954 and just three shy of the
ALL-TIME--
AL West GB WP
Oakland --- .619
Anaheim 4.0 .591
Seattle 4.5 .586
Texas 22.5 .450
129 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - NIGHT 129
CHAD BRADFORD smokes the last batter on a called third
strike to end the game against the Twins, and the TEAM
rushes in to congratulate him--
130 INT. BILLY'S OFFICE - NIGHT 130
BILLY looks down at his blackberry, sees the result and
makes a small fist pump.
REPORTER
Who would have thought in April I'd be
saying this: The A's won their 18th game
in a row, that's two-shy of tying, three-
shy of beating the American League record-
CUT TO:
131-137 OMITTED 131-137
A138 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - ANNOUNCER'S BOOTH - DAY A138
SHOTS OF THE GAME ANNOUNCERS.
138 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - DAY 138
--where the energy is electric.
AL West GB WP
Oakland --- .633
Anaheim 3.5 .609
Seattle 7.0 .583
Texas 25.5 .449
REPORTER #1 V/O
This is something special now and far be
it for me to jinx it by saying how many
consecutive games the A's have won--
140.
140.
REPORTER #2 V/O
NINETEEN--
REPORTER #1 V/O
Well you said it not me.
Tickets are torn and purses searched as record breaking
numbers of fans pour into the stadium.
REPORTER #2 V/O
None of the Oakland fans in their cars
down there have forgotten the A's
inglorious history-making choke in Game 5
of the ALDS last October and tonight--
139 INT. A'S LOCKER ROOM - DAY 139
It's like a tomb. The PLAYERS are getting ready without
music or chat. Justice steps up to deliver a pre-game
pep talk.
JUSTICE
Hey, listen up fellas... bring it up real
quick.
(THEN)
We got some older guys on this team, we
got some younger guys on this team. What
we got right now is a chance for everyone
to make history. I don't want to get
sappy and corny, but this is what we play
for. We've been playin' real good for
19. Let's get 20. We get 20, they can't
take that away from us until they do it
themselves. Guys that are starting
tonight, keep playing like you've been
playing. Guys not starting, be ready.
Huddie, you got the ball -- shove it up
their ass tonight. Let's play some ball!
Let's go!
LEGEND:
September 4, 2002
Kansas City Royals at Oakland A's
GAME 20
REPORTER #2 V/O
--one game shy of 20 consecutive wins,
they have a shot at redemption. How rare
is it to win 20 games in a row? This
rare: No American League team has ever
done it.
141.
141.
140 INT. BILLY'S TRUCK - MOVING - DAY 140
BILLY heads east on 580. His cell phone rings and he hits
the speaker button for the truck.
BILLY
Don't tell me the score, Peter.
SHARON V/O
It's me, Billy.
BILLY
How you doin', leggy.
SHARON V/O
Nope.
BILLY
Sharon?
SHARON V/O
You hangin' in there?
BILLY
Yeah.
There's silence...
BILLY
Hello?
(BEAT)
Sharon?
SHARON V/O
(PAUSE)
"Go into real estate". What a stupid
thing to say.
BILLY didn't even realize until that moment how much he
wanted to hear her say that...He's not sure what to say
back.
BILLY
I appreciate that, thanks.
SHARON V/O
Good luck. Casey wants to talk to you.
CASEY V/O
Are you on your way to the stadium?
BILLY
No, I'm on my way to Visalia to see our
minor league team.
142.
142.
CASEY
Dad - turn around. You have to see the
game.
BILLY
No, I don't.
CASEY
Turn around.
BILLY
I'll talk to you later, sweetheart. I
love you.
He hangs up, drives a little longer...letting what Casey
said sink in. Then...
BILLY
(TO HIMSELF)
Shhhit.
...he turns on the radio.
ANNOUNCER V/O
Tim Hudson is carving through this Royals
line-up and at the end of three, it's the
A's 11 and Kansas City nothing.
BILLY
(QUIETLY)
Oh God.
(BEAT)
Ohhhh God.
BILLY sees the sign for the next exit coming up. He makes
a decision and quickly crosses to the right, just making
the exit.
CUT TO:
A141 OMITTED A141
141 INT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - LATER - DAY 141
BILLY is striding through an underground corridor which
is echoing with the cheers of 55,000 fans.
142 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD LEVEL - DAY 142
BILLY emerges from a tunnel to a sight Billy's denied
himself for 138 games: The lit-up ballpark with a game in
play. From the field, we see Billy finding his place in
the seats behind home plate. Peter is already there.
143.
143.
BILLY'S POV OF THE SCOREBOARD: 11-0 at the bottom of the
3rd. Unfortunately the idyllic moment is short-lived as
Dye strikes out swinging and the teams swap places. The
A's take the field with TIM HUDSON pitching.
Billy looks around. He sees the scoreboard, a FAN with a
big funky cowboy hat, the charged-up crowd in the stands,
it's like the Coliseum at Rome.
A143 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - DAY - TOP OF THE 4TH A143
IBANEZ of the Royals singles to center field.
RANDA of the Royals singles to left field.
But the Oakland fans are still jubilant and do the wave.
Then a big error from Tejada puts runners on 1st, 2nd and
3rd (MAYNE, Ibanez and Randa).
A143A EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - MAGIC HOUR - TOP OF 4TH A143A
As if we've entered the Twilight Zone, it becomes
twilight and LIGHTS GO ON.
DEE BROWN of the Royals singles to right, bringing Ibanez
and Randa home, and Mayne to 3rd.
Ibanez and Randa high-five each other at the plate,
passing Billy as they head to their dugout. Okay, the
Royals are on the board now: 11-2, but just barely. Until-
A143B EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - NIGHT - TOP OF THE 4TH A143B
PEREZ of the Royals singles to center field, bringing
Mayne home.
Then TUCKER of the Royals doubles to left field. Justice
makes an embarrassing fall trying to catch it, and Brown
and Perez score. They high-five and pass Billy as they
leave the plate, the second time he's seen that, and
suddenly the Royals have 5.
Reaction shot CLOSE-UPS: Justice, Tejada, Tucker on 2nd,
Art Howe, the Royals' dugout, a pitcher's conference with
Peterson and Hudson.
And finally Billy, who WALKS OUT.
B143 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - NIGHT - TOP OF THE 5TH B143
MIKE SWEENEY of the Royals singles to left-center field --
Neither Justice or Long get it, it lands between them.
And they have WORDS.
144.
144.
Randa makes a sloppy single to left field... this one
goes between Justice and Tejada.
C143 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - NIGHT - BOTTOM OF THE 5TH C143
MONTAGE of A's at bat: Hernandez grounds out, DURHAM
strikes out, Mabry grounds out... A stunned A'S FAN
stands up with his arms out in a "WTF??" gesture. While
the A's are still up, this is excruciating for the fans.
143 OMITTED 143
144 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - NIGHT - TOP OF THE 7TH 144
ANNOUNCER V/O
Kansas City's scored five and Oakland's
lead is down to six as Art Howe comes out
to the mound to pull Tim Hudson.
Art Howe comes out of the dugout, gives the signal for
"underhander," takes the ball from Hudson.
ANNOUNCER V/O
He'll go with the submariner, Chad
Bradford.
We see SHOTS OF FANS in the sold-out stadium experiencing
the height of tension and excitement in sports.
Chad Bradford comes off the bullpen mound to relieve
Hudson, and begins counting his steps -
CHAD
One, two, three, four -
145 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - NIGHT - TOP OF THE 7TH 145
Chad arriving at the mound taking the game ball from Art,
who we see is genuinely supportive and encouraging to
Chad.
146 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - NIGHT - TOP OF THE 7TH 146
Chad finishing his warm-up pitches.
CHAD
I know what it is to be in need and to
have plenty. I am content. I can do all
things through Christ who gives me
STRENGTH--
147 INT. ART'S OFFICE - NIGHT - TOP OF THE 7TH 147
BILLY is just as tense as the fans.
145.
145.
BILLY
(to himself but to
CHAD)
Okay Chad, let's see it.
148 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - NIGHT - TOP OF THE 8TH 148
CHAD walks Mayne. An angry fan throws toilet paper onto
center field, the one thing Long manages to pick up. The
crowd grows anxious.
CHAD's submariner pitch to the next batter, DEE BROWN,
walks him. BROWN trots down to first and there are now
two runners on.
Some FANS have to cover their eyes. There's a pitcher
conference.
Art Howe simmers in frustration. He signals Rincon to
warm up. The fans aren't happy either.
ORDAZ of the Royals grounds to Tejada, who throws home
for the force, and misses. Now it's 11-6!
Howe pulls Bradford.
Rincon throws a controversial strike out. The Royals
batter, TUCKER, protests, and fans go crazy BOOING.
Brown scores, 11-7 now, Royals chipping away that lead,
AND --
Howe pulls Rincon. Tam comes in to relieve him.
Sweeney's up. In rapid succession, we seem him battle off
TEN PITCHES of Tam. He's got two strikes on him, more
toilet paper flies on the field, Bowie comes in to warm
up which Tam sees, then -
SWEENEY HITS A THREE-RUN HOMER TO MAKE IT 11-10! This is
excruciating.
149 OMITTED 149
150 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - NIGHT - TOP OF THE 9TH 150
BOWIE is already gone. KOCH is on the mound. There's a
Royal, PELLOW, on 2nd. According to the scoreboard, it's
2 outs, 2 strikes. If Koch throws a strike, the game is
over. The fans are fucking feverish.
ALICEA of the Royals singles to left and Pellow scores.
The game is now TIED.
In their dugout, Royals GLOAT.
146.
146.
He's ended the inning, but in the A's dugout, Koch slams
the wall.
151 OMITTED 151
152 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - NIGHT - BOTTOM OF THE 9TH 152
The scoreboard shows us that it's still tied in the
bottom of the ninth. Nobody's out. DYE grabs a bat and
walks to the plate. Then, inexplicably, Howe turns to-
ART
Hattie. Grab a bat.
SCOTT HATTEBERG actually points to himself and mouths,
Me?
ART
Let's go.
SCOTT pulls a bat from the rack and heads to the on-deck
circle. He only manages a warmup pitch or two before -
A153 INT. WEIGHT ROOM A153
Billy is watching on a muted television as he sees Dye
fly out to right field. As Hatte approaches the plate, he
kills the TV.
153 OMITTED 153
154 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - SAME TIME 154
As ROY STEELE's booming voice echoes:
VOICE OF GOD
Pinch hitting for Eric Byrnes--Scott
Hatteberg.
Scott's wife, ELIZABETH, watches from the VIP seats. She
clutches her face.
SCOTT lets the first pitch go by.
UMPIRE
Ball!
Art Howe looks like he can't stand it any longer. In the
dugout, Koch looks like a psychopath ready to kill.
SCOTT steps out of the box to catch his breath. He steps
back in and stares at the exact spot in space he thinks
the pitch will leave the pitcher's hand.
The pitch. SCOTT swings.
147.
147.
Crack! 55,000 erupt. The A's leap to the front of the
dugout steps and watch.
We see the ball ascending on a strong trajectory, but
before we can know for sure where it's headed, TIME SLOWS
TO A CRAWL-
155 INT. WEIGHT ROOM - SAME TIME 155
BILLY's sitting on the floor with his back against the
wall, trying to breathe. He looks like he's in pain. He
can't move.
He hears the crowd ERUPT outside. His Blackberry buzzes:
"hatte homered. a's 12, ryls 11"
Billy flips on the TV. With sound off, he watches silent
images of his team swarming the mound in (archival
footage) mixed in with Art Howe celebrating with them.
156 OMITTED 156
157 OMITTED 157
158 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - SAME TIME 158
The place is going crazy. ELIZABETH is screaming as she
watches her husband get mauled by his teammates at the
plate.
159 INT. WEIGHT ROOM - MOMENTS LATER 159
BILLY's still contemplating making AL history as
celebrating players flood into the locker room just
outside. Billy looks through a portal on the door. He's
trapped in here now. He crosses into the
160 INT. LOCKER ROOM - CONTINUOUS 160
The place is packed with players, coaches and news crews.
There's no champagne spraying but they feel like they won
the World Series and in fact have done something much
more rare.
Billy is trying to make a fast unnoticed exit. After
pushing through the crowd, he walks outside of the club
house into the -
A161 INT. CORRIDORS / FAMILY AREA - CONTINUOUS A161
where the players' families and wives are waiting. Billy
sees ELIZABETH HATTEBERG walking toward him--
148.
148.
ELIZABETH
Mr. Beane? I'm Elizabeth Hatteberg. We
met at my house last Christmas.
BILLY
Sure.
ELIZABETH
Thank you.
BILLY
Thank me? Thank you. Whatever you put in
those Christmas cookies, keep--
ELIZABETH starts to cry--
BILLY
Whoa. It's okay.
ELIZABETH
I'm sorry.
BILLY
It's alright.
ELIZABETH
You don't know what it's like to have
everyone think you're a failure.
BILLY doesn't say anything but of course he does.
BILLY
Well...You never thought that, and that's
WHAT'S--
ELIZABETH
(the worst possible
SIN)
I did.
(BEAT)
And he knows I did.
BILLY takes this in a second...
BILLY
Yeah he does know you did.
ELIZABETH
He's talked to you?
BILLY
No. I just know.
(BEAT)
That's all over now.
(MORE)
149.
149.
BILLY (CONT'D)
Your husband just took a Jason Grimsley
two-seam fastball and parked it in the
upper deck in left field for a pinch-hit
walk-off home run in a record breaking
game. Go tell him about it.
ELIZABETH looks at him a moment...and then starts crying
AGAIN--
BILLY
No it's okay now, just go.
ELIZABETH goes off to find her husband. BILLY sees PETER
standing there.
BILLY
Gilligan.
PETER
Congratulations.
CUT TO:
161 INT. RESTAURANT - NIGHT 161
BILLY and TARA are eating.
BILLY
Aw, man. I spend the season trying to
reduce it to numbers and we won on
romance. Suddenly it's the Natural with
Hatteberg. Scott Hatteberg.
(TOASTS)
To twenty.
TARA
To twenty.
(THEN)
You should've seen Elizabeth's face when
it went right over.
BILLY
She showed up afterwards.
TARA
What did she say?
BILLY
I was a big moment for them. You know
everyone wrote him off?
TARA
You didn't. You found him and you put
that together.
150.
150.
BILLY
I know. It was beautiful. But you
know... it's not gonna mean a thing.
He's upset. She knows it.
BILLY
Here's the thing -- we changed the game.
We got this year, maybe next, then
they're gonna catch on. This is our
moment. I want to go the distance. I
wanna shove it up the Yankees' ass. Not
just the Yankees, but... these guys
deserve it.
TARA
You deserve it. Honey, 20 games. It's a
record.
BILLY
That's right, it's just a record. It
gets buried in some book. Come on, tell
me who won 19? I don't even know. It's
4th place at the Olympics. Any other
team wins the World Series this year...
great. We're still in the record books.
But if we win, we've changed the game.
We've put it on its head and shoved it up
their ass. If we don't, they're gonna
erase us.
CUT TO:
162 OMITTED 162
163 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - NIGHT 163
The same shot as at the beginning: the Coliseum from high
above, only this time the final game of the division
series is being played at home.
LEGEND:
2002 ALDS
DECIDING GAME 5
Minnesota Twins at Oakland A's
The camera pans down the huge scoreboard. It's
excruciating. The numbers on the board tell us it's been
an incredibly close game but the A's are losing by one
run in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and nobody
on.
151.
151.
Ray Durham stands in at the plate. Strike one to the
Durham as we hear the venerable voice of ESPN's Joe
Morgan, who's speaking post-game.
JOE MORGAN V/O
The flaw in the A's thinking, and this
comes from the top of their organization--
is their failure to comprehend you have
to manufacture runs in the post season.
Durham fouls off a pitch. Strike two.
JOE MORGAN V/O
You have to steal. You have to bunt. You
have to sacrifice. You have to trust in
small ball, not Billy Ball.
Durham swings at the fastball and connects, but it's a
pop fly to second which a TWINS INFIELDER easily nabs.
The PITCHER throws his glove in the air and the CATCHER
runs out to the mound as the rest of the Twins run to the
middle of the field to begin their victory celebration.
Durham turns away and heads back to the dugout.
The A's have lost the series.
JOE MORGAN V/O
They think they've devised a science to
win games. They think it resides in a
computer. They thumb their nose at
fundamentals. At tradition. At Baseball.
164 OMITTED 164
A165 INT. VIDEO ROOM - NIGHT A165
Harrowed by the defeat, PETER stares at the TV, listening
to Joe Morgan.
JOE MORGAN V/O
They're bean counters in Oakland. That's
bean with an "e" at the end. They're card
counters at the blackjack table who
forget the house always wins.
JUMP CUT TO:
B165 INT. VIDEO ROOM - NIGHT B165
Peter SMASHING a wooden chair to pieces with a baseball
bat.
JUMP CUT TO:
152.
152.
C165 INT. VIDEO ROOM - NIGHT C165
Peter, in exhaustion, his eyes glued again to the screen
watching shots (ARCHIVAL VIDEO) of euphoric Twins
reveling and A's stunned at their misfortune.
165 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - NIGHT 165
A LOCKED-OFF SHOT begins to slowly move towards the pile
of celebrating players on the mound and as we near, the
sound begins to fade and the PLAYERS BEGIN TO DISAPPEAR,
as do the FANS and ALL OCCUPANTS OF THE COLISEUM. DRIFT in
an empty stadium, towards the dugout, where the last of
the CLEANING CREW brooms the floor.
A166 INT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - NIGHT A166
CAMERA MOVES down a dimly lit cinder block corridor, and
finally into the -
166 INT. A'S LOCKER ROOM - NIGHT - 1989 166
where we discover a solitary figure.
The camera comes to settle on the Oakland A's player,
still in uniform, hours after the game has ended, sitting
with his face in his hands. After a long, deep breath he
sits up and we discover that it's Billy, 10 years prior.
CUT TO:
167 INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT - 1989 167
Billy, still in uniform, walks down the long corridor
that leads to the GM's office, his cleats clicking on the
concrete halls.
ALDERSON V/O
This is weird, Billy.
CUT TO:
168 INT. SANDY ALDERSON'S OFFICE (FLASHBACK) - NIGHT - 1989 168
BILLY's standing in front of the A's GM wearing his
uniform pants and a t-shirt.
ALDERSON
It's like a politician quitting a
campaign to become a staffer. Do you even
know what a scout does?
BILLY
I've been scouted since I was 15.
153.
153.
ALDERSON
And you're ready to say, "I'm not a
baseball player"?
BILLY
I'm not a baseball player.
CUT TO:
169 INT. BILLY'S OFFICE - DAY 169
BILLY
Ready to do this?
Pete nods. Billy calls out --
BILLY
Suzanne? Get Schott on.
(TO PETER)
You ever been to Boston?
The speakerphone rings. Billy answers.
BILLY
We need to talk about the Red Sox.
SCHOTT (V.O.)
So I heard. John Henry reached out to
you?
BILLY
Yes. But I haven't spoken with him yet.
SCHOTT (V.O.)
That's what he said.
BILLY
I want your blessing before I do.
SCHOTT (V.O.)
Well, how am I supposed to react to all
of this? You're under contract, Billy.
You extended.
BILLY
I know that, Steve, but I'd like to talk
to them. I want to see what they have to
say.
SCHOTT (V.O.)
You're asking me to let them talk to you?
BILLY
Yes. With your permission.
154.
154.
SCHOTT (V.O.)
Well, I can't do that unless I know Peter
is in place as my GM.
BILLY
Pete?
SCHOTT (V.O.)
I'm not letting you take him with you,
and I have no idea if he's willing to
stay if you aren't here. How do I even
know I can come to terms with him, given
the extremely disadvantaged bargaining
position you're putting me in?
BILLY
Well, I think you'll agree this is a
great opportunity for him. I can't
believe he's not going to make a deal.
Peter is frozen. Neither Steve nor Billy are acting like
he's even in the room.
SCHOTT (V.O.)
If you want out of your contract, I want
their whole team and a lot of cash.
We've invested in you.
BILLY
I haven't asked to get out of my
contract, Steve, I just asked if I could
talk to them.
SCHOTT (V.O.)
And I said I won't give you permission
unless I know I have Peter! You can't
leave me with a vacant front office.
BILLY
Then talk to Peter.
SCHOTT (V.O.)
I will.
Silence.
SCHOTT (V.O.)
All right. You know what? I've made it
a point never to stand in the way of a
man wanting to make more money. They
made the call, the genie's out of the
bottle. I had faith in your judgement
when I named you GM; that's why I did it
and I have faith in it now. Good luck,
Billy.
155.
155.
Billy hangs up. A long beat. Peter looks at Billy.
PETER
Well, I didn't see that coming.
BILLY
I think you should think about staying.
You're one of the architects of this
thing, it belongs as much to you as it
does to me.
PETER
Okay... okay...
BILLY
How you doing Pete?
PETER
I'm a little overwhelmed right now. I
think I need to process what's happening.
BILLY
Why don't you take the day off.
CUT TO:
A170 INT. TOWNCAR - DAY A170
Billy regards culinary treats presented fancifully in a
towncar that transports him to Fenway Park.
170 EXT. FENWAY PARK - BOSTON - DAY 170
We establish the famous home of the Red Sox before
finding BILLY standing on home plate. He looks around at
the historic stadium...
JOHN (O.S.)
Billy Beane!
JOHN HENRY, the new owner of the Boston Red Sox, is
shouting at him from the owner's box. BILLY gives a kind
of wave.
HENRY
Due respect to the Coliseum, but this is
a ball park.
BILLY
Yes it is. It is.
HENRY
(SHOUTING)
You ever play here?
156.
156.
FLASH CUT:
BILLY swinging hard at a pitch in the dirt.
CUT BACK TO:
BILLY
No.
JOHN
That's a shame. Let's walk the field.
BILLY and JOHN begin a stroll around the perimeter of
Fenway.
JOHN
Hey, I'm sorry I kept you waiting but
believe it or not there was snow on 84.
The second week in October. The car
turns on to Yawkee Way and it's 53
degrees and this. How can there be an
entirely different weather system here
than there is three miles from here? Is
that global warming or a sign that
there's no such thing?
BILLY
I don't know.
JOHN
What's that Billy Joel song? Oh the snow
it was falling from Stockbridge to
Boston. And the hilltops seemed
something because of that frosting.
BILLY
I think that's James Taylor and I'm
certain those aren't the words.
JOHN
Well whatever, it was snowing from
Stockbridge to Boston so I'm sorry I'm
late. We'll have lunch in a little bit
but why don't I have some coffee sent up.
(he's already got his
cell phone open)
Denise?
(back to BILLY)
We've got espresso, cappuccino, latte,
we've got a machine that makes whatever
you want.
BILLY
We've got free soda.
157.
157.
JOHN
I heard about that.
(INTO PHONE)
Can you have some coffee in there for us?
(BEAT)
Thank you.
He snaps the phone shut.
A171 INT. PRESS BOX - DAY A171
Billy and John admire the view. DENISE sets down a tray
of coffee and exits.
JOHN
It's her birthday and I need to get her a
present but she's usually the one who
does that for me so do you have any
ideas?
BILLY
(PAUSE)
A scarf?
JOHN
You mean like wool?
BILLY
No I meant something that women wear
with, you know, a decorative --
JOHN
Sure! Excellent.
(PAUSE)
And where would I get something like
that?
BILLY
John, no disrespect, I just lost in five
for the second year in a row -- give her
a bowling ball for all I care.
JOHN
Steve Schott told me he's offering you a
new contract.
BILLY
Yes he is.
JOHN
So why'd you return my call?
BILLY
You're the Red Sox, and I think I can
help you.
(MORE)
158.
158.
BILLY (CONT'D)
I think I can do something about the
Curse of the Bambino. I heard you hired
Bill James.
HENRY
Why it took someone so long to hire that
guy is beyond me.
BILLY
Because baseball hates him.
HENRY
Money buys a lot of things. One is the
luxury to disregard what baseball thinks.
BILLY
That must be nice.
(beat, then)
I was grateful to get your call.
JOHN looks at BILLY a moment...
JOHN
You were grateful.
BILLY
Yeah.
JOHN
For 41 million you built a playoff team.
You lost Damon, Giambi, Isringhausen and
Pena and you won two more games without
them than you did with them.
And we begin a slow push-in on BILLY... this is the first
person in baseball other than his assistant who doesn't
think he's crazy.
JOHN
You won the exact same number of games as
the Yankees but the Yankees paid 1.4
million dollars per win and you paid two-
hundred and sixty thousand. Yes, I want
you to be my General Manager.
(PAUSE)
I know you're taking it in the teeth.
The first guy through a wall always gets
hurt. But those are dying voices. Any
GM that doesn't tear down their team and
rebuild it using your model is gonna be a
dinosaur.
JOHN's taken a piece of paper out of his pocket and
slides it to BILLY --
159.
159.
BILLY
What's this?
JOHN
My first offer.
BILLY opens it, looks at it for less than a second, and
looks back up at JOHN...
171 INT. LIMO - DAY 171
Billy looks out at the Boston scenery. He steals a
glance at the paper in his hand, John's offer, pensive...
CUT TO:
172 OMITTED 172
173 INT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - LOCKER ROOM - DAY 173
Billy comes into the locker room and gives it a look.
174 OMITTED (MOVED TO G177) 174
175 OMITTED 175
176 INT. OAKLAND COLISEUM LOCKER ROOM - DAY 176
Billy sits at a table. A baseball SLAMS down in front of
him. He looks up to see where it came from. PETER is
standing in the doorway.
PETER
Heads up!
BILLY
Jesus. What the hell --
PETER
Sorry.
BILLY
What the hell was that?
PETER
I don't know. Sorry.
(THEN)
How was Boston?
BILLY
Impressive.
PETER
You're giving me Youkilis, Billy.
160.
160.
BILLY
Why would I ever do that?
PETER
Come on Billy, Schott's going to want
something in exchange for letting you out
of your contract and I want Youkilis.
BILLY
Oh, what is that, your GM voice? You
can't have him.
PETER
And Cash. And a player to be named
later.
BILLY
You already have my job. What else do you
want from me?
PETER
I don't want your job.
BILLY
Why did you take it?
PETER
You didn't leave me much choice.
(THEN)
Did Henry make you a good offer?
BILLY
It doesn't matter.
PETER
Did he make you a good offer?
BILLY
It was fine.
PETER
What was it?
BILLY
It doesn't matter.
Pete just stares at him. Finally, Billy reaches into his
pocket, takes out the folded piece of paper and hands it
to Peter.
Peter looks at it...
PETER
He offered to make you the highest paid
GM in pro sports.
161.
161.
BILLY
(GENUINELY
CONFLICTED)
Do I love the Red Sox?
PETER
I don't know. I've never heard you say
you did.
BILLY
So why am I doing this?
PETER
You're not doing it for the money.
BILLY
I'm not?
PETER
You're doing it for what the money says.
It says what it says to any player who
gets big money: that they're worth it.
BILLY
The offer says that. The money itself is
redundant.
(BEAT)
I made one personal decision based on
money in my life and I swore to never do
that again.
PETER
So you're not going to Boston?
BILLY
I haven't decided.
PETER
It's all over the news that it's a done
deal.
BILLY
Look at this place. What a dump.
(THEN)
I so wanted to win here.
PETER
I think you've already won, Billy.
BILLY
No Pete, we lost.
PETER
You haven't given yourself time to get
over it, it's only been three days.
162.
162.
BILLY
I'm not even over last year yet. I don't
get over it.
PETER
(BEAT)
I've got something in the video room,
come with me.
BILLY
I really can't look at video right now.
PETER
No, come with me.
A177 OMITTED (MOVED TO K177) A177
B177 INT. VIDEO ROOM - DAY B177
PAUL
It's not much more than a home movie but
you'll get the idea.
BILLY
Who is it?
PAUL
The Visalia Oaks and their 240 pound
catcher, Jeremy Brown, who's scared of
running to second. This was in a game
six weeks ago.
PAUL hits the remote and the tape starts. The quality is
poor and the camera is focused only on Jeremy.
PAUL
This guy's gonna start him off with a
fastball low and in because he hasn't
read the book on our guy and doesn't know
that low and in is where he eats. Jeremy
takes him to deep center --
We see JEREMY BROWN connect and the ball fly off the bat
but the camera stays on JEREMY running to first. PAUL
slows down the picture with the remote
PAUL
-- and he knows that if he runs it's a
stand-up double and he's running.
BILLY
(QUIETLY)
Go pal.
163.
163.
PAUL
And now he's gonna do something he never
does. He's gonna round first base, he's
gonna take the turn.
BILLY
Please tell me he's safe at second.
PAUL
No. Because right here --
JEREMY slips and stumbles to the ground.
PAUL
-- is what he's always been afraid of.
It's all he can do to get himself back to
first.
JEREMY has been scrambling in the dirt to get safely back
to first base.
BILLY
What is that?
PAUL
That's the first base coach.
BILLY
Why's he laughing? I'm gonna fire that
guy, why the hell is he --
PAUL
Everybody's laughing.
JEREMY's looking around the field now, looking at his own
dugout. We can't see what he sees but he's confused.
PAUL
And now Jeremy finds out why. Watch his
face because this is art. He's just
found out the ball went 60 feet over the
fence. He'd hit a home run but he didn't
know it.
And JEREMY's face explodes into a smile. He slaps hands
with the first base coach and begins his trot around the
bases.
BILLY stares at this. He takes the remote and backs it
up a little so he can see Jeremy's face again.
BILLY
How can anybody not be romantic about
baseball?
164.
164.
PAUL
(PAUSE)
It was a metaph--
BILLY
I know it was a metaphor.
PAUL
That was a hell of a baseball season,
boss.
BILLY
The Island of Misfit Toys. Okay.
And with that, Billy's mind begins to go elsewhere. No
resolution, no decision, other than to get up and wander
on.
CUT TO:
C177 INT. OAKLAND COLISEUM HALLWAY - DAY C177
Billy stops in front of a door, checks to see if it's
open, it is and he enters.
D177 INT. OAKLAND COLISEUM SCOUT ROOM - DAY D177
Billy Stands and takes it in.
CUT TO:
E177 INT. ART HOWE'S OFFICE - DAY E177
Billy stands and takes it in.
CUT TO:
F177 INT. OAKLAND COLISEUM HALLWAY - DAY F177
Billy stands at area from which a mysterious smell still
emanates.
CUT TO:
G177 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - DAY (FORMERLY 174) G177
Billy haunts the field, talking to himself. Eventually
he stands at the plate, and has an imaginary at bat.
CUT TO:
165.
165.
H177 INT. VIDEO ROOM - CONTINUOUS H177
Pete watches Billy from the pitch tracking monitor as he
argues with an imaginary ump before hitting an imaginary
inside the park home run that ends with a slide into home.
CUT TO:
J177 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM FIELD - DAY J177
Billy wanders over to the pitcher's mound. Lies down.
His POV of perfect sky...
K177 EXT. FREEWAY - DAY (FORMERLY A177) K177
BILLY's driving along and listening to the continued
DRONE of talk radio criticism.
RADIO VOICE (V.O.)
ARCHIVAL RADIO CHATTER
BILLY keeps listening a moment, then reaches in the glove
box and pulls out a CD marked "Dad's Mix".
BILLY slips it in the CD player. The sound of the radio
immediately snaps off and the momentary silence is soon
broken by CASEY's VOICE--
CASEY (V.O.)
Hey, Dad. I picked these songs out just
for you.
And then the first track on the CD comes on (SONG TBD).
And BILLY smiles.
He continues on down the freeway into dusk, as--
177 EXT. MLB FIELD 177
David Justice at the plate. As he takes ball four and
trots down to first, the image freezes -
Legend: David Justice retired after the 2002 season,
leaving baseball with a team-leading on-base percentage
with most walks.
178 EXT. MLB FIELD 178
Scott Hatteberg, looking comfortable on the infield dirt
finally, dives for a line drive - freeze.
166.
166.
Legend: Scott Hatteberg played three more seasons with
the A's, then signed with Cincinnati in 2006 - as a first
baseman. He retired in 2007.
179 EXT. MLB FIELD 179
Chad Bradford goes into his windup from Mars. As his
hand scrapes the dirt - freeze.
Legend: Chad Bradford went to the Red Sox in 2005. In
2008, he was traded to Tampa Bay who went on to the World
Series with a payroll even lower than the A's.
180 EXT. MLB FIELD 180
Kevin Youkilis, in a Red Sox uniform, shimmies at the
plate. As he lays off ball four and the umpire points to
first - freeze.
Legend: Boston never traded to Billy - or anyone else -
their Greek God of Walks, Kevin Youkilis. He was part of
the historic World Series Championship Red Sox of 2004,
and is still with the club.
181 EXT. MLB FIELD 181
Peter, in a Yale Bulldogs uniform, scoops a grounder to
second. As he throws out a Yale Bulldog - freeze.
Legend: Peter Brand left Oakland in 2004 to become the
General Manager of the Dodgers. He's now with the San
Diego Padres.
182 EXT. MLB FIELD 182
Billy - 18 years old - in his Mount Carmel High uniform,
takes his stance at the plate with the supreme confidence
of youth. The pitch comes. He swings. And as his bat
makes contact - freeze.
Legend: Billy Beane is still the General Manager of the
Oakland A's.
183 EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - NIGHT 183
The Coliseum's floodlights switch off and the green of
the grass darkens -
TO BLACK
