My WAR calculation is a combination of Baseball-reference and Clay Davenport; I believe it to be the "best" WAR number available for historical comparison. 8 WAR is an MVP quality season. The record is pythagorean adjusted for 162 games.
1902 52-110
C Frank Bowerman .4
1B Dan McGann 2.15
2B Heinie Smith .1
SS Joe Bean -.5
3B Billy Lauder -1.55
LF George Browne 1
CF Steve Brodie .9
RF Jim Jones -1.05
Uti Jack Dunn -1.45
1B Jack Doyle 1.7
Uti Roger Bresnahan 1.1
SS John McGraw 1
OF Jim Jackson -.7
C George Yeager -.3
OF George Van Haltren .45
P Christy Mathewson 4.05
P Dummy Taylor .55
P Roy Evans .9
P Joe McGinnity 2.6
P Tully Sparks -.1
P Jack Cronin 1.3
-The 20th anniversary season. The Giants only hit 6 homers in '02, their new worst season ever. An ugly year with largely forgettable players that was one of the more important in franchise history. The team was sold (again) with the outgoing owner buying the Orioles - and, in what wasn't exactly a swap, but close enough for these purposes, John McGraw became the manager of the Giants (and Joe McGinnity came with him).
