Moneyball Movie Quotes – ‘Many are called, few are chosen.’

Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Chris Pratt, Stephen Bishop, Brent Jennings, Kerris Dorsey, Ken Medlock, Tammy Blanchard, Jack McGee

OUR RATING: ★★★☆☆

Story:

Sports drama directed by Bennett Miller, based on the true story of real life Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), and how he reinvents his team by outsmarting the richer ball clubs. Joining forces with Ivy League graduate Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), Beane prepares to challenge old-school traditions. He recruits bargain-bin players whom the scouts have labeled as flawed, but have game-winning potential.

Our Favorite Quotes:

Best Quotes   (Total Quotes: 70)

[Billy’s is in his boss’s office talking about the game Billy’s team lost]
Stephen Schott: How are the guys doing?
Billy Beane: It was a killer. It was a killer. It was a tough one to swallow. It was…
Stephen Schott: Ah, they played great. They did…
Billy Beane: Oh, they played their hearts out. They did, they played fantastic and it just didn’t fall our way.
Stephen Schott: They’ll do better next year.
Billy Beane: We were close though, weren’t we? We were so close, right there.
Stephen Schott: You almost had it. You got to feel good about that.
Billy Beane: Oh, I feel great about. I feel great about it.

Billy Beane: Um, we’re not going to do better next year.
Stephen Schott: Why not?
Billy Beane: Well you know we’re being gutted. We’re losing Giambi, Damon, Isringhausen. Done deal. We’re in trouble.
Stephen Schott: You’ll find new guys. You found Jason, you found Damon.
Billy Beane: We need more money Steve.
Stephen Schott: Bill.
Billy Beane: I need more money!
Stephen Schott: We don’t have any more money.
Billy Beane: I can’t compete against a hundred and twenty million payrolls with thirty eight million dollars.
Stephen Schott: We’re not going to compete with these teams that have big budgets. We’re going to work with the constraints that we have and you’re going to get out and do the best job that you can recruiting new players. We’re not going to pay seventeen million dollars a year to players.

Billy Beane: I’m not asking you for ten, twenty, thirty million dollars. I’m just asking for a little bit of help. Just get me a little bit closer and I will get you that championship team. I mean, this is why I’m here. This is why you hired me. And I got to ask you what are we doing here?
Stephen Schott: Billy, you know I…
Billy Beane: If it’s not to win a championship?
Stephen Schott: I want to win just as…
[Billy holds his hand up high]
Billy Beane: That’s my bar. My bar is here. My bar is to take this team to the championship.

Stephen Schott: Bill we’re a small market team and you’re a small market GM. I’m asking you to be okay not spending money that I don’t have. And I’m asking to take a deep breath, shake off the loss, get back in a room with your guys and figure out how to find replacements for the guys we lost with the money that we do have.
Billy Beane: I’m not leaving here. I’m not, I’m not, I can’t leave here with that.
Stephen Schott: What else can I help you with?
[Billy looks despondent]
Billy Beane: Yep.

[talking on the phone]
Scott: Billy? Scott. Just got off the phone with Dan.
Billy Beane: No, you didn’t!
Scott: I’m surprised he even called me.
Billy Beane: Scott, I got Johnny for seven point five and he doesn’t play anywhere else, so that’s the deal you made.
Scott: Well he just upped it to seven five.
[Billy doesn’t answer]
Scott: You there?
Billy Beane: We had a deal, Scott.
Scott: We have a deal, if it’s eight million.
Billy Beane: Oh, man! You played me.
Scott: I’m just doing my job…
Billy Beane: No, you’re playing me and you’re still playing me. Congratulations, asshole! You win.
[he hangs up the phone]

[at the scouts meeting discussing the players]
Grady Fuson: Artie, who do you like?
Scout Artie: I like Perez. He’s got a classy swing, it’s a real clean stroke.
Scout Barry: He can’t hit the curve ball.
Scout Artie: Yeah, there’s some work to be done, I’ll admit that.
Scout Barry: Yeah, there is.
Scout Artie: But he’s noticeable.
Matt Keough: And an ugly girlfriend.
Scout Barry: What does that mean?
Matt Keough: Ugly girlfriend means no confidence.
Scout Barry: Okay.
John Poloni: Oh, now, you guys are full of it, Artie’s right. This guy’s got an attitude and an attitude is good. I mean it’s the kind of guy who walks into a room his dick has already been there for two minutes.
Scout Pote: He passes the eye candy test. He’s got the looks, he’s great at playing the part. He just needs to get some playing time.
Matt Keough: I’m just saying his girlfriend is a six at best.

Grady Fuson: We’re trying to solve a problem here.
Billy Beane: Not like this you’re not. You’re not even looking at the problem.
Grady Fuson: We’re very aware of the problem.
Billy Beane: Okay, good. What’s the problem?
Grady Fuson: Okay, Billy. We all understand what the problem is. We have to replace…
Billy Beane: Good. What’s the problem?
Grady Fuson: The problem is we have to replace three key players.
Billy Beane: No. What’s the problem?
John Poloni: Same as it’s ever been. We’ve got to replace these guys with what we have existing.
Billy Beane: No! What’s the problem, Barry?
Scout Barry: We need three eight home runs, a hundred twenty R.B.I’s and forty seven…
Billy Beane: Aaahhh! The problem we’re trying to solve is that there are rich teams and there are poor teams, then there’s fifty feet of crap, and then there’s us. It’s an unfair game. And now we’re being gutted, organ donors for the rich. Boston has taken our kidneys, Yankees taking our heart and you guys are sitting around talking the same old good body nonsense, like we’re selling deeds. Like we’re looking for Fabio. We got to think differently.

Billy Beane: We are the last dog at the ball. You’ve seen what happens to the runt of the litter? He dies!
Grady Fuson: Billy, that’s a very touching story and everything, but I think we’re all very much aware of what we’re facing here. You have a lot of experience and wisdom in this room, now you need to have a little bit of faith and let us do the job of replacing Giambi.
Billy Beane: Is there another first base player like Giambi?
John Poloni: No, not really.
Billy Beane: And if there was, could we afford him?
Grady Fuson: No.
Billy Beane: Then what the fuck are you talking about, man? If we try to play like the Yankees in here, we will lose to the Yankees out there
Grady Fuson: Boy, that sounds like fortune cookie wisdom to me, Billy.
Billy Beane: No, that’s just logic.
Scout Bob: Who’s Fabio?

[at the offices of the Cleveland Indians, Billy meets their GM to see if he can procure some players]
Mark Shapiro: How’s it going?
Billy Beane: It’s going alright. How are you been? You’re filling out that chair nicely.
Mark Shapiro: Well I got three weeks in it right now.
Billy Beane: Good. Good, man.
Mark Shapiro: How are you doing?
Billy Beane: Fantastic!
Mark Shapiro: Awesome!
Billy Beane: I couldn’t be better.
Mark Shapiro: Well, that’s good to hear, Billy. I’m not going to waste your time, man. You just tell me what you’re looking for.
Billy Beane: Fifty million dollars in additional payroll.
Mark Shapiro: You should try Giambi.
Billy Beane: Ouch!
Mark Shapiro: I’m sorry. It’s too soon, right?

[as Billy is about to leave the Cleveland office he comes back to Peter for making Shapiro change his mind selling his players]
Peter Brand: Hello.
Billy Beane: Who are you?
Peter Brand: I’m Peter Brand.
Billy Beane: What do you do?
Peter Brand: I’m special assistant to Mark Shapiro.
Billy Beane: So what do you do?
Peter Brand: Mostly player analysis right now.
Billy Beane: Been on the job long? First job in baseball?
Peter Brand: It’s my first job anywhere.
Billy Beane: Wow! Congrats.
Peter Brand: Thank you.
Billy Beane: First job. Who’s nephew are you? Why does Mark listen to you?
Peter Brand: I don’t think, uh, I don’t think he does very often.
Billy Beane: He just did.
Peter Brand: Well, in that circumstance I think he was more listening to Bruce than myself.

Billy Beane: Who are you?
Peter Brand: I’m Peter Brand.
Billy Beane: I don’t give a rat’s ass what you’re name is. What happened in there? What happened in that room?
Peter Brand: I’m not quite sure why you’re asking me, Mr. Beane.
Billy Beane: What did you tell, Bruce?
Peter Brand: I just told Bruce that I liked Garcia.
Billy Beane: You like Garcia. Why? Why?
[Peter doesn’t answer so Billy gets up and leaves the office with Peter following him]

Peter Brand: There is an epidemic failure within the game to understand what is really happening and this leads people who run major league baseball teams to misjudge their players and mismanage their teams. I apologize.
Billy Beane: Go on.
Peter Brand: Okay, people who run ball clubs, they think in terms of buying players. Your goal shouldn’t be to buy players. Your goal should be to buy wins and in order to buy wins, you need to buy your run. You’re trying to replace Johnny Damon. The Boston Red Sox see Johnny Damon and they see a star who’s worth seven and a half million dollars a year. When I see Johnny Damon, what I see is an imperfect understanding of where runs come from. The guy’s got a great glove, he’s a decent league off hitter, he can steal bases. But is he worth the seven and a half million dollars a year the Boston Red Sox are paying him? No! No! Baseball thinking is medieval, they are asking all the wrong questions and if I say it to anybody I’m ostracized. I’m a rebel, so that’s why I’m cagey about this with you, that’s why I respect you Mr. Beane and if you want full disclosure, I think it’s a good thing you got Damon off of your payroll. I think it opens up all kinds of interesting possibilities.

Billy Beane: Where you from, Pete?
Peter Brand: Maryland.
Billy Beane: Where did you go to school?
Peter Brand: Yale, I went to Yale.
Billy Beane: What did you study?
Peter Brand: Economics. I studied Economics.
Billy Beane: Yale, Economics, baseball. You’re funny, Pete.
[Billy gets into the elevator and leaves]

[we see a young Billy being recruited for pro baseball]
Billy’s Dad: Tell me why Billy? What is it that makes him special?
Scout #1: It’s very rare that you come upon a young man like Billy. Who can run, who can field, who can throw, who can hit and who can hit with power. Those five tools, you don’t see that very often.
Scout #2: Most of the youngsters in the league and have an interest in have one or two tools and we’re hoping to develop and extra one. Your son has five, I mean we’re looking at a guy that’s a potential superstar for us in New York and the time is right now to get him started.
Scout #1: We’re prepared to make a sizeable financial commitment. The Mets are going to stand behind Billy because we expect him to be our big league center field. This check here represents the offer that the New York Mets would be making to Billy.
Billy’s Mom: You do know that he’s been accepted to Stanford on a full scholarship?
Scout #1: I do.
Billy’s Mom: So he can do both?
Scout #1: Unfortunately he can’t do Stanford and professional baseball. He would have to pick one or the other. If he wants to be the center fielder for the New York Mets, he wants to be the baseball player, he really needs to accept this as life’s first occupation, a first career. We’re all told at some point in time that we can no longer play the children’s game, we just don’t know when that’s going to be. Some of us are told at eighteen, some of us are told at forty, but we’re all told. But this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, we want you badly and we think that this amount of money expresses that desire.
Billy’s Dad: Billy, this is your decision. And whatever that decision is, you know it’s fine with your mother and I.

[Billy calls Peter up late at night]
Billy Beane: Hey, it’s Billy Beane.
Peter Brand: What time is it?
Billy Beane: I don’t know. Listen, would you have drafted me in the first round?
Peter Brand: What?
Billy Beane: After I left, you looked me up on your computer. Would you have drafted me in the first round?
Peter Brand: I did, yeah. You were a good player.
Billy Beane: Cut the crap, man! Would you have drafted me in the first round?
Peter Brand: I’d have taken you in the ninth round. Left side and bonus. I imagine you would have passed and taken the scholarship.
Billy Beane: Yeah. Pack your bags, Pete. I just bought you from the Cleveland Indians.
[he hangs up the phone]

[first day in his job]
Peter Brand: Hey, Billy. I wanted you to see these player evaluations that you asked me to do.
[he hands Billy the document]
Billy Beane: I asked you to do three.
Peter Brand: Yeah.
Billy Beane: To evaluate three players?
Peter Brand: Yeah.
Billy Beane: How many did you do?
Peter Brand: Forty seven.
Billy Beane: Okay.
Peter Brand: Actually, fifty one. I don’t know why I lied just there.

[showing Billy his equation for projecting their games]
Peter Brand: So using this equation on the upper left right here, I’m projecting that we need to win at least ninety nine games in order to make it to the pro season. We need to score at least eight hundred fourteen runs in order to win those games and allow no more than six hundred and forty five runs.

[showing Billy the results of the code his run on the computer]
Billy Beane: What’s this?
Peter Brand: This is a code that I’ve written to run your projections. This is building in all the intelligence that we have to project players.
Billy Beane: Okay.
Peter Brand: It’s about getting things down to one number. Using stats to reread them, we’ll find the value of players that nobody else can see. People are over looked for a variety of biased reasons and perceived flaws. Age, appearance, personality. Bill James and Mathematics cuts straight through that. Billy, of the twenty thousand knowable players for us to consider, I believe that there’s a championship team of twenty five people that we can afford. Because everyone else in baseball under values them. Like and island of misfit toys.

[to Billy, from his projections]
Peter Brand: Billy, this is Chad Bradford. He’s a relieve pitcher. He’s one of the most undervalued players in baseball. His defect is that he throws funny. Nobody in the big leagues chases that, because he looks funny. He’s got to be not just the best pitcher in our ball game, but one of the most effective relieve pitchers in all of baseball.

[Art interrupts Billy as he’s about to have a meeting with the scouts and Peter]
Art Howe: It’s not easy doing what I do under the cloud of one year contract.
Billy Beane: Okay, I understand that. I’ve been there.
Art Howe: I know. I know you have. A one year contract means 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 hundred and two and six.
Billy Beane: I see. If you lose the last game in the season, nobody gives a shit.
Art Howe: So it’s on me now.
Billy Beane: No, Art. It’s on me. And the kid is the new Assistant G.M.

[at the meeting with the scouts]
Billy Beane: Guys, you’re still trying to replace Giambi. I told you we can’t do it. We can’t do it. Now what we might be able to do is recreate him. We create him in the adding field.
Grady Fuson: The what?
Billy Beane: Giambi’s on base percentage was four seventy seven. Damon’s on base, three twenty four and Almada’s was two ninety one. Add that up and you get
[he snaps his finger and points to Peter sitting across from him]
Peter Brand: Do you want me to speak?
Billy Beane: When I’m pointing at you, yeah.
Peter Brand: Ten ninety two.
Billy Beane: Divided by three.
[Billy snaps his finger again]
Peter Brand: Three sixty four.
Billy Beane: That’s what we’re looking for. Three ball players, three ball players who’s average O.B.P is…
[he snaps his finger again and points to Peter]
Peter Brand: Three sixty four.

[at the meeting with his scouts]
Billy Beane: Okay, here’s what we want. Jason’s little brother, Jeremy.
Scout Barry: Billy, that’s trouble.
John Poloni: Uh, Billy, look. If I may, he’s certainly had his problems off the field, but we know what he can’t do on the field. There’s reports about him on the weed and strip clubs.
Billy Beane: Well, his on base percentage is all we’re looking at now. And Jeremy gets on base an awful lot for a guy who only cost two hundred and eighty five thousand.
Grady Fuson: Jeez, Billy…
Billy Beane: Number two, David Justice.
Ron Hopkins: Oh, no!
Grady Fuson: Not a good idea, Billy.
Ron Hopkins: Old man Justice?

[referring to Billy’s decision to recruit David Justice]
Grady Fuson: His legs are gone. We’ll be lucky to get sixty games out of him. Why do you like him?
[Billy points to Peter to answer]
Peter Brand: Because he gets on base.
Billy Beane: Okay, number three. Scott Hatteberg.
Scout Barry: Who?
John Poloni: Hatteberg.
Billy Beane: Exactly! He sounds like an Oakland A already. Yes, he’s had a little problem with his elbow…
Grady Fuson: A little problem? He can’t throw!
Ron Hopkins: He’s a clear two sixty hitter. The best part of his career is over.
Billy Beane: I say it’s just getting started.
John Poloni: I know Boston wants to cut him and no one wants to pick him up.
Billy Beane: That’s good for us, he’s cheap.
Grady Fuson: Let me get this straight. You’re going to get a guy that’s been released by half the organization in professional baseball because he’s got non-reparable nerve damage in his elbow and he can’t throw!
Billy Beane: He can’t throw and he can’t field, but what can he do? Guys, check the reports or I’m going to point at Peter.

[the scouts look at the report]
The Scouts: He gets on base.
Billy Beane: He gets on base!
John Poloni: So he walks a lot.
Billy Beane: He gets on base a lot. Do I care if it’s a walk or a hit?
[looks over at Peter]
Billy Beane: Pete?
Peter Brand: You do not.
Billy Beane: I do not.

Grady Fuson: Let me get this straight. So you’re not going to bring in one, but three defective players to replace Giambi? It’s what I’m hearing.
John Poloni: You’re not buying into this Billy James bullshit, right?
Billy Beane: This is the new direction for the Oakland A’s. We are card counters at the Black Jack table, but we’re going to turn the odds on the casino.
Grady Fuson: I don’t see it.
Scout Bob: Seriously guys, I think we have to remember this is the man. He answers to no one except ownership and God. And he doesn’t have to answer to us. We make suggestions, he makes decisions.
Grady Fuson: Look that’s all fine and well, but we’ve been working our asses off for the last six and a half weeks to make this ball club better and you’re shitting all over it!
Billy Beane: Hey, this is not a discussion.
Scout Barry: What are we discussing?
Billy Beane: Barry, not a discussion.

[referring to Billy’s choice of Jeremy Giambi, David Justice and Scott Hatteberg]
Ron Washington: I think there’s one thing you’re forgetting here. None of those three guys knows how to play for a space.
Billy Beane: Well, you’re going to have to teach one of them.
Ron Washington: Teach? Which one?

[Ron and Billy visit Scott at his home]
Billy Beane: How’s the elbow, Scott?
Scott Hatteberg: You know, it’s good. It’s really good, it’s great. Uh, I can’t throw the ball.
Billy Beane: Yeah, you’ve thrown your last ball from behind home play, it’s what I’d say. Good news is, we want you in first. We want you to play first base for the Oakland A’s.
Scott Hatteberg: Okay, woh! I’ve only ever played catcher.
Billy Beane: Scott, you’re not a catcher anymore. If you were our call wouldn’t have been the only one you’d gotten when your contract expired.
Scott Hatteberg: Yeah. Hey, listen. No, I appreciate it.
Billy Beane: You’re welcome.
Scott Hatteberg: But the thing, the thing is, uh…
Billy Beane: You don’t know how to play first base. Scott?
Scott Hatteberg: That’s right.
Billy Beane: It’s not that hard, Scott. Tell him, Wash.
Ron Washington: It’s incredibly hard.
Billy Beane: Hey, anything worth doing is. And we’re going to teach you.

Scott Hatteberg: You want me to take Giambi’s spot in first base?
Billy Beane: Yeah.
Scott Hatteberg: What about the fans?
Ron Washington: [sarcastically] Yeah, maybe I can teach one of them.
Billy Beane: The fans don’t, come on! The fans don’t run my ball club.

[flashback to young Billy playing in MLB and losing game after game]
Voice of Sports Announcer: There’s not an organization in baseball who would not have taken the chance on this young guy. It didn’t pan out. It happens every year. Some do, some don’t. Two scouts can go into the mind of a young man and determine whether he’s really confident about what he can do. So he gets to sign him based on his ability, but then he’s got to be successful to be confident. And once he becomes confident that’s when you got something. You make a decision on what you see and things don’t pan out, you move on. That’s baseball. Many are called, few are chosen.

Billy Beane: You look unhappy, Grady. Why?
Grady Fuson: Wow! May I speak candidly?
Billy Beane: Sure. Go ahead.
Grady Fuson: Major league baseball and it’s fans they’re going to be more than happy to throw you and Google boy into the bus if you keep doing what you’re doing here. You don’t put a team together with a computer, Billy.
Billy Beane: No?
Grady Fuson: No. Baseball isn’t just numbers, it’s not science. If it was then anybody could do what we’re doing, but they can’t because they don’t know what we know. They don’t have our experience and they don’t have our intuition.
Billy Beane: Okay.
Grady Fuson: Billy, you got a kid in there that’s got a degree in Economics from Yale. You got a scout here with twenty nine years of baseball experience. You’re listening to the wrong one. Now there are intangibles that only baseball people understand. You’re discounting what scouts have done for a hundred and fifty years, even yourself!

Billy Beane: Adapt or die.

Grady Fuson: This is about you and your shit, isn’t it? Twenty years ago some scout got it wrong.
Billy Beane: Woh! Okay.
Grady Fuson: Now you’re going to declare war on the whole system.
Billy Beane: Okay! Okay. My turn. You don’t have a crystal ball, you can’t look at a kid and predict his future any more than I can. I’ve sat at those kitchen tables with you and listened to you tell those parents ‘When I know, I know! And when it comes to your son, I know’. And you don’t. You don’t!
Grady Fuson: Okay, I don’t give a shit about friendship, this situation or the past. Major league baseball thinks the way I think. You’re not going to win. And I’ll give you a nickel’s worth of free advice. You’re never going to get another job when Schott fires you after this catastrophic season you’re about to set us all up for. And you’re going to have to explain to your kid why you work at a Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Billy Beane: I’m not going to fire you, Grady.
[Grady puts his hand on Billy’s shoulder and Billy pushes it off]
Grady Fuson: Fuck you, Billy!
Billy Beane: Now I will.

Billy Beane: Tell me about Bradford.
Coach Bob: Well I like him a little bit, but he’s a specialty. He’s not a guy that you say the eighth inning is yours. Lefties versus righties, in my opinion.

Coach Bob: Billy I think we ought to talk about Hatteberg.
Billy Beane: Go.
Coach Bob: Now, there’s just no field for this spot. I think it’s got a long shot that you can have big league first base with him.
Billy Beane: It’s day one of the first week. You can’t judge just yet.
Art Howe: No, I think we can judge him. I like him. You know? But I can judge him. The first base is the moon to him.
Billy Beane: It wasn’t to Giambi? Giambi’s the worst first baseman in all of baseball.
Art Howe: You’re going to compare him to Giambi.
Billy Beane: What are we talking about here?
Art Howe: Alright.
Billy Beane: What do you think, Wash?
Ron Washington: The nice way to say it is, uh, he lacks confidence.
Billy Beane: Well give him some.

[to Billy as they watch the new players train]
Billy Beane: [seriously] This better work.
[Peter gives him a worried look]
Billy Beane: I’m just kidding you.

[as the first game of the season is about to begin]
Chad Bradford: I wanted to say thank you for this opportunity.
Billy Beane: Well, we enjoy having you. It’s going to work out well for all of us.
Chad Bradford: I appreciate it, sir. Nobody’s ever given me a chance like this before in the big leagues
Billy Beane: Nobody?
Chad Bradford: Well just you, sir.
Billy Beane: Well, it’s a big day. One you won’t forget.
Chad Bradford: I appreciate it. And sir, I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to be praying for you and your family.
Billy Beane: No problem.

Total Quotes: 70