By Samindra Kunti
March 23 – Dutch club AZ Alkmaar have hired Moneyball baseball guru Billy Beane (pictured) in an advisory role to try and close the gap on big-spending clubs in the Eredivisie.
Billy Beane is the general manager at Oakland Athletic in the Major League Baseball. He arrived at Oakland in 1990 as a scout, but revolutionised baseball by developing a winning side against financial odds. Beane applied statistical analysis, saber metrics, to reconsider how to evaluate players.
He was the subject of decorated writer Michael Lewis’ book Moneyball, which was made into a movie starring Brad Pitt.
“AZ was already very interested in the Moneyball principle before I got here,” said AZ Alkmaar’s general director Robert Eenhoorn, who played for the New York Yankees and Anaheim Angels in the 90s. “I have known Billy for a while, because of my history in baseball. When we approached him for this role with AZ, he was immediately enthusiastic.”
“He has been able to close the gap with the big-market teams, by being innovative,” said Eenhoorn. “Billy will give his advice from the States and he will visit Alkmaar a few times a year.”
“I am truly excited for the opportunity to be part of AZ Alkmaar in an advisory role,” said Baene to the club’s media. “Despite being a great football club with a storied history, they face many of the challenges we have with the Oakland A’s. My love for football and AZ’s vision of the future of the club made this an attractive pursuit.”
Beane, an avid follower of football, had in the past been linked to a role at one of the leading Premier League clubs, but such a deal never materialised.
In an interview with the Guardian last year Beane admitted that it might be harder to implement his Moneyball philosophy in football. Football is far more unpredictable, fluid and interdependent than baseball. These factors make it more complicated to track and analyze. The gap between rich and poor clubs is also wider in some respect than in the USA.
AZ are fourth in the Eredivisie with 47 points. Ajax lead the table with 70 points.
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