<Li> 2 × Sporting News Executive of the Year (1999, 2012) </Li> <P> William Lamar Beane III (born March 29, 1962) is a former American professional baseball player and current front office executive . He is the Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and minority owner of the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). Prior to his front office career, he played in MLB as an outfielder between 1984 and 1989 for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, and Oakland Athletics . He joined the Athletics front office as a scout in 1990 . He was named general manager after the 1997 season, and promoted to executive vice president after the 2015 season . </P> <P> A first round pick in the MLB draft by the Mets, Beane's playing career failed to meet the expectations of scouts, who projected him as a star . In his front office career, Beane has applied statistical analysis (known as sabermetrics) to players, which has led teams to reconsider how they evaluate players . He is the subject of Michael Lewis' 2003 book on baseball economics, Moneyball, which was made into a 2011 film starring Brad Pitt as Beane . </P> <P> Beane grew up in Mayport, Florida and San Diego, California, the child of a career military family . His father, a naval officer, taught him how to pitch . </P>

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