Ron Washington reflects on his famous "Moneyball" line: “That was the best part of the movie”

Moneyball, a 2011 film, influenced the way baseball is viewed by the wider culture. Replete with iconic quips and sentiments, one line stands out as perhaps the most famous of all.

The scene in question depicts then-Oakland A's manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) going to visit injured catcher Scott Hatteburg with Ron Washington (Brent Jennings).

Cash-starved and looking for discounted players, Beane attempts to convince Hatteburg to play first base, assuring the former Red Sox catcher that it isn't too hard.

When Beane appeals to Washington to back up his claim, the latter replied that playing first "is incredibly hard". Thus, one of the most quoted lines in baseball film history came about.

""It's incredibly hard"MONEYBALL (2011)" - Michael Warburton

Over a decade since the release of Moneyball, Ron Washington is still very much in the game. Named the new manager of the Los Angeles Angels, Washington reflected on his performance in a recent interview with Jayson Stark of The Athletic.

According to Washington, the scene has a partial degree of truth to it. Although Washington conceded that the dialogue did not happen at Hatteburg's house, the 71-year old said that the conversation between himself, Beane and Hatteburg did occur.

Apparently, it happened in 2002 at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, which was the then-spring training facility for the Oakland Athletics.

"It's incredibly hard" On the new Starkville, I asked Ron Washington if that famous scene from Moneyball really happened. He delivered the whole true story!" - Jayson Stark

A former MLB player in his own right, Washington has been around the game for a long time.

Two decades after Moneyball was set, the Louisiana-native continues to be regarded as one of the wisest man in baseball. Washington served as the manager of the Texas Rangers from 2007 until 2014, and won the 2021 World Series as a third base coach for the Atlanta Braves.

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Moneyball continues to stand as one of the best baseball movies ever

While the advanced statistical method employed by Beane known as sabermetrics is still shrouded in mystery, the film did a fabulous job of showing the inner workings of MLB front offices.

Brent Jennings deserves special credit for his depiction of Ron Washington, a man who's still very much involved in the game. Like all Hollywood movies, the film relied on some slight revisionism. However, it's refreshing to hear that, at least for that scene, the exact conversation took place.