"MoneyBart" (stylized as "MoneyBART") is the third episode of the twenty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 10, 2010. In this episode, Lisa coaches Bart's Little League baseball team to a record winning streak by using her book smarts in statistics and probability. However, when Bart questions Lisa’s coaching tactics and accuses her of taking the fun out of baseball, Lisa benches him from the championship game.
The episode was written by Tim Long. This was the last episode that Nancy Kruse directed for the series. It features an opening sequence and couch gag written by British graffiti artist and political activist Banksy, who stated he had been "inspired by reports that Simpsons characters are animated in Seoul, South Korea".
The episode was watched in a total of 6.74 million households.
Critical reception was generally favorable, with praises towards the story and jokes but criticism towards the episode's use of baseball-themed celebrity cameos.
Plot
A visit by Dahlia Brinkley, the only Springfield Elementary graduate ever to enter an Ivy League college, gives Lisa a severe inferiority complex because she is involved in very few extracurricular activities. When Ned Flanders resigns as coach of Bart's Little League team, the Springfield Isotots, Lisa seizes the chance to extend her résumé and takes the position. Since she knows nothing about baseball, she seeks advice from the patrons of Moe's Tavern, who direct her to Professor Frink and his scientific colleagues. She learns about sabermetrics from them and uses this science to organize the Isotots' strategy; as a result, their record quickly improves, and they rise in the league standings. However, Bart eventually rebels against her management, saying that she has taken all the fun out of the game, and hits a home run despite her orders to let the pitcher walk him. The Isotots win the game, but Lisa throws Bart off the team for his insubordination.
The dismissal raises tension at the Simpson household, with Homer and Marge siding with Lisa and Bart, respectively. Homer believes that Lisa needs to do what is good for the team, while Marge thinks she should put her relationship with Bart first. Under Lisa's leadership, the team advances to the championship against Capital City. On the day of the game, Marge takes Bart to an amusement park; while they ride the roller coaster, Lisa calls Bart to beg for his help, but he brushes her off. Mike Scioscia, manager of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (and a former ringer for Mr. Burns' softball team), pops up in the seats behind Marge and Bart and tells him that the best players listen to their managers, pointing out his three World Series wins – two as player, one as manager. Marge takes Bart to the game, which is now in its last inning, with the Isotots down 11-10. Bart puts aside his differences with Lisa and offers to pinch-run from first base, then ignores her signs and steals both second and third. As he begins to steal home, Lisa realizes the odds are vastly against him, then decides to ignore the numbers and cheer him on anyway. He is tagged out at the plate, costing the Isotots their championship bid, but Lisa thanks him for helping her learn to love baseball as a game, and the team cheers them for resolving their differences.
Production
The episode was written by Tim Long, his second writing credit of the season after "Elementary School Musical", and was directed by Nancy Kruse, her first directing credit of the season, and her last of the series. This marks the second appearance of Mike Scioscia on The Simpsons. His first appearance on the show was in the season 3 episode Homer at the Bat in 1992, which is referenced in the episode. Baseball sabermetrician Bill James also makes a guest appearance in a talking picture on a wiki, being used as a reference when Professor Frink points out to Lisa that "baseball is a game played by the dextrous but only understood by the poindextrous."
Opening sequence
Approximately the first half-minute of the opening sequence remains the same, with a few oddities: the word "Banksy" is sprayed onto a number of walls and other public spaces; Krusty's billboard advertises that he now performs at funerals (first seen on "Take My Life, Please", but this had "Banksy" on it). The chalkboard gag ("I must not write all over the walls") is written all over the classroom walls, clock, door, and floor.