Play Ball: The History, Culture & Politics of Baseball: Sabermetrics

Billy Beane, a former baseball player turned general manager for the Oakland Athletics, learned about the use of sabermetrics from his mentors. When he became manager, Beane used sabermetrics to find value in undervalued players that the team could afford with their small budget. Gradually, their team performance improved and their standing in the MLB rose.

One technique that Beane employed was to look at college baseball players as opposed to high school baseball draft picks. Through sabermetrics, he believed the odds of success were higher for college players, who were generally not actively sought by other major league teams.