Billy Beane is a former professional baseball player and the current executive vice president of baseball operations for the Oakland Athletics. He is best known for his innovative approach to team management and player evaluation, which emphasizes the use of data and statistics. Beane gained widespread recognition for his role in popularizing the concept of sabermetrics, a method of analyzing baseball statistics to make informed decisions. His strategies were famously depicted in the book and film titled "Moneyball," which highlights how he built a competitive team on a limited budget.