It’s hard not to think that the story of “Moneyball” might have been markedly different if Billy Beane had made the jump from Oakland to Boston in 2002. He was the guy the Red Sox wanted. But when Beane backed out at the last minute — which may have made him more endearing since the movie came out — it was Theo Epstein whom the Red Sox ended up calling on, making him the youngest general manager in major league history at the time. While the A’s became a fairy tale, Epstein transformed Boston from desperate and cursed into a perennial contender and a two-time World Series champion.
Despite their historic implosion this September, that’s what the Red Sox remain, and that’s what Epstein’s legacy is as he heads to Chicago, leaving the city where he was raised and the team he always dreamed of representing.
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What Epstein did in Boston wasn’t exactly movie-style “Moneyball,” which at its core is about using limited resources to get the most out of undervalued assets. Epstein, of course, spent enormous amounts of money — the Red Sox had the second-biggest payroll in the majors during both championship runs in 2004 and 2007. But what drove the Boston franchise forward was Epstein’s refocus on the cultivation of talent and the way to play the game, both of which are influenced by statistics and analysis.
Winning titles, of course, involves free agents but more importantly luck. In 2004, luck turned with Boston down 3-0 in the American League Championship Series and 4-3 in the ninth inning. Other times, like this year, luck sours badly. Being in contention year after year requires discipline, talent and prospects. Boston will be in contention next season.
Epstein, meanwhile, will be in Chicago, where he will have a clean slate for building a new foundation with the Cubs. Success may take longer, and another Steve Bartman episode could alter his legacy altogether. But should Wrigley Field become a regular October landmark the way Fenway Park is now, Epstein will deserve his place in Cooperstown.
Should the Cubs somehow win their first World Series since 1908? He’ll end up with more than a book and a movie. Chicago can start with a shrine on Lake Shore Drive.
– Craig Stouffer
