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.
1971 National League West Champions 88-74 (lost NLCS to
Pirates 3-1)
C Dick Dietz 3.7 (11.9) Last season
1B Willie McCovey 2.9
2B Tito Fuentes 2.15
SS Chris Speier 3.25
3B Al Gallagher 1.4
LF Ken Henderson 3.8
CF Willie Mays 6.1
RF Bobby Bonds 6.05
CF Jimmy Rosario .4
3B Hal Lanier -.6
1B Dave Kingman .9
OF George Foster .1
3B Jim Ray Hart .2
SP Gaylord Perry 1.9 (34.85) Last Season
SP Juan Marichal 2.85
SP Ron Bryant .2
SP Steve Stone -.3
SP John Cumberland 2.35
RP Jerry Johnson 1.4
RP Jim Barr .2
-Good rebound in '71, the Giants win the NL West. 40 year old Mays homered in the season's first four games, later he broke the NL runs scored record. The Giants won the West by a game, then lost to the Pirates in the NLCS, their first playoff appearance in 9 years, and their last for 16. 40 year old Mays has a 6 win season, is the Giants best position player, and crosses 150 WAR for his career. McCovey passes Roger Connor as the top first baseman. Gaylord Perry gets moved at what turns out to be the halfway point of his career. It also wraps Dietz.
