Billy Beane

I think Billy Beane is brilliant with his scouting strategies. Being honest about what certain players' strengths are is really the key to scouting skilled players. I think that the act of looking past people's stats and trying to see the "potential" really just speaks to the ego of certain scouts, and the fact that they think they are smarter than the stats. Certain statistics like on base and slugging percentages, in which Billy Beane particularly focuses, really are an accurate depiction of talent. With statistics like hits and RBIs, there are many subjective factors and not everyone is necessarily on the same level playing field. However, the only variable in slugging and on base percentages is that certain players may face different opponents. However, this is something that through time is usually insignificant, and it is a common issue among any statistic in just about any sport. Billy Beane's method is successful because it gives a fair representation of players through a common eye. While most scouts deal with their biases, by possibly picking people that they liked from the start for any reason, they are set back and not actually getting the best of the best.