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Billy Beane
The general manager of the Oakland A’s, a Major League Baseball franchise, during the period that Moneyball covers (he remained the general manager beyond the scope of the book, as well). As a younger man…
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Paul DePodesta
For most of the book, Paul DePodesta is Billy Beane’s assistant and right-hand man. A Harvard graduate and economics scholar, Paul is responsible for introducing the new sabermetric approach to baseball management. Recognizing that…
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Bill James
The father of sabermetrics, Bill James was an amateur sports journalist who, in the late 1970s, began self-publishing a legendary series of annual treatises on baseball. James’s great insight, Michael Lewis argues, was to realize…
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Jeremy Brown
An unlikely professional athlete drafted by the Oakland A’s in 2002, Jeremy Brown is overweight, hairy, and generally un-charismatic. Nevertheless, he has a high on-base percentage and a consistent, reliable swing. Throughout the book, Michael…
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Henry Chadwick
19th century British journalist who pioneered the traditional baseball statistics, such as batting average, that are still commonly used in baseball. As Lewis sees it, Chadwick was largely responsible for the widespread misunderstandings of how…
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Get the entire Moneyball LitChart as a printable PDF.
Walter A. Haas, Jr.
The owner of the Oakland A’s from 1980 until his death in 1995, after which his family sold the team to new ownership. Haas ran the team in almost a philanthropic way, not worrying about…
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Scott Hatteberg
Catcher and first-baseman for the Oakland A’s. Despite the fact that he suffered an accident that leaves him virtually unable to throw the ball, the A’s sign him prior to the 2002 season for his…
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Minor Characters
Sandy Alderson
General manager of the Oakland A’s prior to Billy Beane, and a pioneer of a scientific, experimental approach to baseball, though not to the extent that Beane later implemented.
Jack Armbruster
Ex-Wall Street financier who co-founded AVM Systems, a company that used the principles of derivatives to analyze baseball.
David Beck
An unlikely draft pick for the Oakland A’s who exemplifies the qualities that Paul DePodesta values in players.
Sam Blalock
Billy Beane’s high school baseball coach.
Joe Blanton
Talented pitcher drafted by the Oakland A’s in 2002.
Dick “Bogie” Bogard
A senior talent scout for the Oakland A’s.
Jeremy Bonderman
A high school pitcher, drafted in 2001 by the A’s on the recommendation of scout Grady Fuson.
Scott Boras
A notoriously savvy agent who represents players in their contract negotiations.
Chad Bradford
Relief pitcher for the Oakland A’s.
Robert Brownlie
Talented pitcher, represented by the agent Scott Boras.
Eric Chavez
Third baseman for the Oakland A’s.
Brant Colamarino
Unlikely first baseman drafted by the Oakland A’s in 2002.
Dick Cramer
Cofounder, with Bill James, of STATS Inc., one of the first companies that measured and published baseball statistics.
Mike Crowley
President of the Oakland A’s.
Johnny Damon
Center fielder for the Oakland A’s whom Billy Beane trades before the 2002 draft.
Harvey Dorfman
Sports psychologist for the New York Mets in the 1980s.
Lenny Dykstra
Billy Beane’s roommate and teammate on the Mets who quickly overshadowed Billy on the field, despite being a less talented athlete on paper.
Ray Durham
Leadoff hitter who is traded from the White Sox to the Oakland A’s midway through the 2002 season.
Dan Feinstein
Employee of the Oakland A’s, responsible for shooting video of every game.
Cliff Floyd
Hotly desired hitter for the Montreal Expos.
Prince Fielder
2002 draft pick and the son of a former ballplayer for the Tigers.
David Forst
Paul DePodesta’s assistant.
Benjamin Fritz
Talented pitcher drafted by the Oakland A’s in 2002.
Grady Fuson
The head talent scout for the Oakland A’s who clashes with Billy Beane after Fuson drafts too many young, high school athletes.
Pete Gammons
Reporter for ESPN.
Jeremy Giambi
Younger brother of Jason Giambi and a player whom the A’s acquire in a trade before the 2000 season. They trade him away in the middle of the 2002 season.
Jason Giambi
Talented hitter for the Oakland A’s who, after the 2001 season, leaves the A’s as a free agen because they can’t afford him. He goes to play for the New York Yankees.
Jeremy Guthrie
Talented pitcher, represented by the agent Scott Boras.
Eric Hiljus
Pitcher for the Oakland A’s.
Ken Hofmann
Co-owner, with Steve Schott, of the Oakland A’s during the season depicted in Moneyball.
Art Howe
Manager of the Oakland A’s major league team under Billy Beane.
Tim Hudson
Pitcher for the Oakland A’s.
Jason Isringhausen
Pitcher for the Oakland A’s whom Billy Beane trades before the 2002 draft.
Roger Jongewaard
The head talent scout for the New York Mets who was largely responsible for convincing a young Billy Beane to sign with the Mets, a decision that Billy regretted for the rest of his career.
David Justice
Hitter for the Oakland A’s. Though he was once a great hitter, by the 2002 season he is older and has lost much of his power. Yet he still has the ability to draw walks, which is the reason the A’s acquire him in a trade.
Scott Kazmir
Talented baseball player drafted by the Mets in 2002.
Mike Kriger
Unlikely shortstop drafted by the Oakland A’s in 2002.
Erik Kubota
The head talent scout for the Oakland A’s after Billy Beane fires Grady Fuson.
Tony La Russa
Manager of the Oakland A’s under Sandy Alderson.
Cory Lidle
Popular but overvalued player for the Oakland A’s.
Terrence Long
Center fielder for the Oakland A’s.
John Mabry
A player the A’s acquire in return for trading Jeremy Giambi. When he joins the A’s he hits better than he ever has before, but because Billy Beane dislikes his swing-first style he plays less regularly than he would like.
Ken Macha
Bench coach for the Oakland A’s major league team, later the manager of the major league team.
Mike Magnante
Pitcher for the Oakland A’s whom Billy Beane dispassionately pushes off the team midway through the 2002 season.
Don Mattingly
Legendary baseball player with the New York Yankees.
Ken Mauriello
Ex-Wall Street financier who co-founded AVM Systems, a company that used the principles of derivatives to analyze baseball.
Voros McCracken
Paralegal and baseball fanatic who, in his spare time, discovered that, contrary to popular belief, the pitcher had no control over whether a batted ball (a pitch that a hitter managed to get his bat on) fell in for a hit or turned into an out.
Jim Mecir
Pitcher for the Oakland A’s, drafted in spite of—and, in some ways, because of—his clubfoot.
Omar Minaya
General manager of the Montreal Expos.
Joe Morgan
Legendary second baseman who claims, illogically, that the Oakland A’s success during the 2002 season was mostly a matter of luck.
Jamie Moyer
Pitcher for the Seattle Mariners.
Carlos Pena
Popular but overvalued player for the Oakland A’s.
Bill “Moose” Perry
Chad Bradford’s high school coach, and one of the few people who encouraged him to shoot for Major League Baseball.
Steve Phillips
General manager of the Mets.
Ricardo Rincon
Talented ballplayer whom Billy Beane manages to acquire midway through the 2002 season.
Steve Schott
Co-owner, with Ken Hofmann, of the Oakland A’s.
Mark Shapiro
General manager of the Cleveland Indians.
Denard Span
High school pitcher who refuses to sign with a Major League team for less than 2.6 million dollars a year.
Steve Stanley
Lightweight center fielder whom Billy Beane wants for the 2002 draft.
Darryl Strawberry
Legendary major league baseball player who was drafted at the same time as Billy Beane but quickly outshone Billy.
Nick Swisher
Talented athlete, signed by the Oakland A’s in 2002, whom both Paul DePodesta and the old-fashioned talent scouts admire.
Mark Teahen
A college third-baseman who draws walks and rarely strikes out, but hits with little power in college. The A’s draft him in 2002.
Miguel Tejada
Shortstop for the Oakland A’s.
Mike Venafro
Pitcher for the Oakland A’s.
Paul Volcker
Ex-chairman of the Federal Reverse, and one of the four “experts” recruited by Major League Baseball to investigate the economic inequalities of the game.
Ron Washington
Infield coach for the Oakland A’s.
Kevin Youkilis
Obscure but talented Red Sox ballplayer whom Billy Beane wants for the Oakland A’s due to his ability to draw walks.
J. P. Ricciardi
General manager of the Toronto Blue Jays.
