Character Analysis

The book Moneyball has many interesting characters that make a big impact on the book.  In particular the protagonist Billy Beane, exemplifies true grit throughout the story. Billy Beane is the general manager of the Oakland A’s. He shows this determination by staying true to his theory.  His theory “Moneyball” is a group of statistics created to get a better sense of player’s talents. His ultimate goal is to create a championship team that the A’s can afford. If Billy fails to reach this goal, he will be fired. This is not the first obstacle that Billy has ever come across. Before becoming the general manager of the A’s, Billy was a professional player. He was a top prospect in baseball. Scouts said that, “Billy was a can’t miss prospect, and he had all of the tools to become a star.” During the 1980 draft, Billy was selected by the New York Mets in the first round. The Mets offered him a huge amount of money to play pro ball with the New York Mets. The problem was that Billy already was committed to the University of Stanford on a full scholarship. In the end, Billy chose pro ball and was not allowed back at Stanford. In the book Billy says that he made this decision because of the money. The down fall of his decision was that his baseball career did not pan out. Billy was left in the work world with only a high school diploma. If he loses his job as general manager, Billy will most likely have a hard time finding a job again. This decision comes up many other times in the book. It is Billy's motivation to work hard and never give up.