Mr. Moneyball to speak at IU Southeast

Discussion

February 1, 2013

Mr. Moneyball to speak at IU Southeast

Billy Beane, Oakland A’s general manager, to speak Feb. 12

By DANIEL SUDDEATH daniel.suddeath@newsandtribune.com The News and Tribune Fri Feb 01, 2013, 05:58 PM EST

NEW ALBANY — His life has been the subject of a top-selling movie, with Brad Pitt emulating his persona as the crafty general manager of the financially strapped Oakland Athletics.

On Feb. 12, Billy Beane will speak at the Paul W. Ogle Cultural and Community Center at Indiana University Southeast as part of the annual Sanders Speaker Series.

Beane — who took over general manager duties for the A’s just after the 1997 season — is the man behind the best-selling book and Hollywood hit “Moneyball.”

The title refers to Beane’s calculated methods for building pennant contending teams without the luxury of seemingly bottomless money coffers held by rivals such as the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The event will begin at 6 p.m., and while admission is free, tickets are required. Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 4 p.m. on Feb. 12.

The Sanders Speakers Series was launched with an endowment by Judge Carlton and Sue Sanders in 2008. Past speakers have included Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, President Ronald Reagan economic adviser Arthur B. Laffer and former White House Press Secretary Dana Perino.

Uric Dufrene, who holds the Sanders Chair position in the IU Southeast School of Business, said the generosity of the Sanders has allowed the university to host some prominent speakers like Beane for the benefit of students and the community.

“It is another example of the important role that IU Southeast serves in the Southern Indiana and Greater Louisville communities,” he said.