Chapter 4

SPORTS: THE MINDSET OF A CHAMPION

In sports, everybody believes in talent. Even—or especially—the experts. In

fact,

sports is where the idea of “a natural” comes from—someone who looks

like an

athlete, moves like an athlete, and is an athlete, all without trying. So great

is the

belief in natural talent that many scouts and coaches search only for

naturals, and

teams will vie with each other to pay exorbitant amounts to recruit them.

Billy Beane was a natural. Everyone agreed he was the next Babe Ruth.

But Billy Beane lacked one thing. The mindset of a champion.