The Athletics and general manager Billy Beane are preparing for the release of "Moneyball," the movie version of the book inspired by the team's front-office approach. "I've seen a couple of cuts, and there is a bit of nostalgia about it," Beane said. "I forgot some of the guys on that team. It's been a while." Oakland will soon miss the playoffs for the fifth straight season. "There are a lot of smart guys running teams now, and a lot of the guys who are smart also have a lot of money," Beane said. "That's a pretty tough combination to go against. We've all started valuing the same things. "Clubs like us and Minnesota used to place really high value on young, inexperienced players. Now teams at the top of the food chain are doing the same thing, and it's really hard to find trade partners. So it usually comes down to money. The gap between the haves and the have-nots is actually greater today. The window for small-market clubs is shorter and shorter."