Attention baseball fans: Although the 2011 Major League Baseball season is coming to an end for both the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants, the buzz surrounding the sport is still much alive in the Bay Area these days.
 
The world premiere of “Moneyball” – a movie based on Michael Lewis’ 2003 national bestseller - will be shown at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland at 6 p.m. this Monday, Sept. 19. The movie opens Sept. 23 in theaters across the country.
 
“This is a very Oakland A’s themed movie,” Bob Rose, the director of Public Relations for the Oakland A’s, said. “It is great from the stand point that it features a GM and a pro team because there haven't been that many.”

The film tells the story of Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A’s who with the help of his assistant Paul DePodesta, defied the traditional method of spending millions of dollars on players and instead popularized a successful strategy for accumulating talent through unconventional scouting methods.

What might seem like just another movie about baseball to some, in fact is, anything but. “Moneyball” starring Brad Pitt, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jonah Hill, instead focuses around a universal story. Even those who don’t necessarily follow the game of baseball or the science behind Sabermetrics – the evaluation of baseball records and a player’s performance through certain mathematical statistics - can relate to the overall underdog theme of the movie. 

The Oakland A’s were a scrappy bunch that competed, challenged and nearly defeated elite teams such as the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox during the 2000, 2001 and 2003 American League Division Series, despite having less than a third of those teams' payrolls.

“People are really looking forward to this movie,” Rose said. “It's nice to be exposed to a number of audiences not only across the country, but also internationally as well.”
Last year, Sony Pictures approached the team to film some of the scenes of the movie at the recently renamed O.co Coliseum. An overwhelming interest from the public combined with an outpouring number of fans who showed up to be extras during the filming, only further helps boost the attendance of the remaining A’s home games this year.

The Oakland A’s will celebrate the release of the movie by having “Moneyball Day” at the O.co Coliseum on Sunday, Sept. 18. Prior to the 1:05 p.m. game against the Detroit Tigers, the first 10,000 fans at the ballpark will receive a free “Moneyball” T-shirt. In addition, actor Jonah Hill, who plays Peter Brand – a fictional character in the film based on Paul DePodesta - will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Fans will also have the chance to win movie premiere tickets and movie posters during the game.

“It’s natural to have a day to recognize the release of the film,” Rose said. “Fans who buy a $26 Field Level ticket to Sunday’s game online with the code 'Moneyball' will receive a voucher to see the movie at participating Bay Area movie theaters.”

For more information, visit the Oakland A’s Web site.

If You Go

What: “Moneyball” film premiere
When: 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19
Where: The Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway in Oakland