If Beane were 10 years older and the film made 10 years sooner, this would have been a perfect fit. Beane bears a striking resemblance to a much younger Thornton, which is a huge plus: One of the arresting features of Billy Crystal's 61* was the physical resemblance of lead actors Barry Pepper and Thomas Jane to the film's key subjects, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle.

Other than facial features, Thornton would bring sporting cinema savvy to the role. He starred in both the remade Bad News Bears and in Friday Night Lights, albeit in less intellectual roles than this one, whereas Pitt admitted to Sports Illustrated this week that he knows relatively little about baseball.