Forever Giants:1966 San Francisco Giants Year 9 (84)

1965 is here.

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.

1966 86-76

C Tom Haller 2.85 

1B Willie McCovey 7.1 

2B Hal Lanier -.1 

SS Tito Fuentes 1.05

3B Jim Ray Hart 5.75 

LF Len Gabrielson -1.5 

CF Willie Mays 8.4 MVPQ  

RF Ollie Brown -1.4

OF Jesus Alou  -2.3 

IF Jim Davenport 1 

LF Cap Peterson -.85 

OF Don Landrum -.45

SP Juan Marichal 9.5 MVPQ  

SP Gaylord Perry 5.3

SP Bobby Bolin 4.35 (8.85)

SP Rob Herbel -.45 

SP Ray Sadecki -1.45

RP Frank Linzy  1.85 

RP Lindy McDaniel  1.85

-Inexplicably, a 28 year old Cepeda gets moved.  Mays passes Ott and Foxx on the all time homer list, he's still MVPQ every year in the decade, but Marichal had a better season.  It's the Giants worst pythag since '60, and the number of WAR seasons worse than -1 is startling. No way that's not on Franks.  This is a real "what the hell are they doing" season.  Cepeda's overrated as an all-time Giant; in franchise history he's just below Antonelli for career value.

Forever Giants:1965 San Francisco Giants Year 8 (83)

1964 is here.

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.

1965 91-71

C Tom Haller 2.7 

1B Willie McCovey 5.4

2B Hal Lanier -.75 

SS Dick Schofield -.4

3B Jim Ray Hart  3.1 

LF Len Gabrielson 1.55

CF Willie Mays 10.95 

RF Jesus Alou 1.75 

OF Matty Alou -1 

IF Jim Davenport -.15 

LF Cap Peterson -.1

SP Juan Marichal 10.05 MVPQ  

SP Bob Shaw 4.7

SP Gaylord Perry .25 

SP Ron Herbel 1.25

RP Frank Linzy 4.75

RP Bobby Bolin 4.4

-Known as Leo Durocher's right hand man as a coach on the 50s Giants clubs, Herman Franks becomes the new manager.  Mays hits his 500th homer. Warren Spahn joins the Giants - the Dodgers beat the Giants down the stretch; this is the Marichal/Roseboro season. Mays, now 34, has another MVPQ season, his third straight 10+ WAR season. This is peak Mays, 62-65. Marichal also goes over 10, the first time in Giants history teammates had done that, Marichal's season is the best for a Giants pitcher since '33.  There's some study to be done on seasons where teammates had 10+ WAR.  Frustrating not to convert that into a pennant. You get Mays' best year and Marichal's best year and you're home in October.  And look at that bullpen.  Man.  Sanford finishes up.

Forever Giants:1964 San Francisco Giants Year 7 (82)

1963 is here.

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.

1964 89-73

C Tom Haller 3.1 

1B Orlando Cepeda  4.3 

2B Hal Lanier 1.85

SS Jose Pagan -1.3 

3B Jim Ray Hart 5.2 

LF Willie McCovey .2 

CF Willie Mays 10.95 

RF Jesus Alou -.05

OF Harvey Kuenn -.6

IF Jim Davenport 1 

OF Matty Alou .25 

IF Chuck Hiller  -.35 

C Del Crandall .65

OF Duke Snider -.6

SP Juan Marichal 6.2

SP Bobby Bolin 2.5 

SP Bob Hendley 1.85

SP Rob Herbel 1.9

SP Jack Sanford 1.7 

SP Gaylord Perry 5.05 

RP Jim Duffalo 1.4

-Mays goes over 10 WAR for the third straight season; this is now his best yet, the second best Giants season ever. And - he passes Mathewson in career WAR. Masanori Murakami becomes the first Japanese player in MLB history. 

Forever Giants:1963 San Francisco Giants Year 6 (81)

1962 is here.

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.

1963 90-72

C Ed Bailey 3.2 

1B Orlando Cepeda 6.15 

2B Chuck Hiller -.6 

SS Jose Pagan .1 

3B Jim Davenport .15 

LF Willie McCovey 5.95

CF Willie Mays 10.5 MVPQ

RF Felipe Alou 4.7 (13.6) Final season

Uti Harvey Kuenn .5 

C Tom Haller 2.65 

2B Joey Amalfitano -.6

SS Ernie Bowman -1.2

SP Juan Marichal 7.7

SP Jack Sanford 2.95 

SP Billy O Dell 3.05 

RP Bobby Bolin -.65

RP Jack Fisher -2.15

RP Jim Duffalo 1.15

-3 straight 90+ pythags. The first San Francisco no hitter?  Marichal, over the Colt 45s in June; six weeks later was his 16 inning 1-0 win over 42 year old Warren Spahn in what might have been the greatest game ever pitched. Mays has the best season for a Giant position player ever and the only better back to back seasons than 62-3 have been Mathewson's 1908-09.  This is it for Felipe, although he'll return a few decades later to manage.  Jim Ray Hart debuts.  

Tendown February 1, 2015

Yup, that's a good cast.  Who knew dudes were so proprietary about Ghostbusters?  It's not like Will Smith's son's doing a reboot of Karate Kid.  Pardon?

160 is here. This is Tendown 161.

1. Who wins today?  Half of Americans say its the Believers.

2. Behind the paywall, the Giants have the second worst farm system in MLB.

3. Why aren't you watching The Americans?

4.AMISH MEASLES!

5. Bryan Fischer got fired?  What's the world coming to?

6. Picking Seattle, Rooting New England.

7. I finished 2014 wrestling.  Here's the list of the best matches of the year.

8. What phrase does Taylor Swift own?

9. How could this possibly be true?

10. All politics is identity politics.

And one more...



I'll be back next time, if there is a next time....

Your pal,

Jim