НАЗВАНИЕ: Moneyball (2011)
ГОД: 2011
СЦЕНАРИСТ: Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian
ИСТОЧНИК: ScriptSlug (PDF) — https://www.scriptslug.com/script/moneyball-2011
URL: https://assets.scriptslug.com/live/pdf/scripts/moneyball-2011.pdf
СКАЧАНО: 2026-10-12 11:49
ПРИМЕЧАНИЕ: текст чужой, для личного изучения. Не распространять. Не исполнять.
======================================================================

    MONEYBALL
          Screenplay by
Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin

            Story by
          Stan Chervin

      Based on the book by
          Michael Lewis
                                                             1.
                                                             1.


    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 Fabergé 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 Fabergé 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, Peña’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, Peña 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 Peña 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
