— Stephen Obenchain, one of the Oakland Athletics' seven first-round picks in 2002In 2003, author Michael Lewis published Moneyball, a chronicle of the Oakland A's groundbreaking analytical approach to player evaluation. At the heart of the book was Oakland's preparation ahead of the 2002 amateur draft, the first time the A's would use these new techniques on a grand scale to draft and sign amateur talent.
Billy Beane, photographed here during in the 2005 amateur draft, believed that the draft could be Oakland's way to compete with bigger market clubs. Photo by Michael Zagaris /MLB Photos via Getty Images.
Nick Swisher became the face and star of Oakland's Moneyball class. Photo by Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports.
John Baker (center) and Jeremy Brown (right) were each selected in the Moneyball Draft. Baker would play seven seasons in the majors, while Brown would leave the game abruptly at age 28. Photo by Michael Zagaris /MLB Photos via Getty Images.
J.P. Ricciardi, left, and Sandy Alderson, right, each helped Beane build the foundations of Moneyball. Both men are now in the New York Mets front office. Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images.
Mark Teahen became one of three Moneyball first-round picks to carve out major league careers. Photo by Jerry Lai-USA Today Sports.
They were going to go in the first round to somebody. I think once you get past those guys, that's when the other stuff pops in, the other aspects of it pop in.
Joe Blanton, the 24th overall pick in the 2002 Draft, has pitched 13 seasons and counting in the major leagues. Photo by Kyle Terada-USA Today Sports.