Your Chance to Invest

So, I lost the Super Bowl for you this year, giving you Seattle +1.

Let me make it up to you by offering you Boyhood, -150, for Best Picture.

After the Globes, that number was about -800, giving you just no play at all, but given Birdman's SAG/PGA success, they're essentially co-favorites now.

I don't know if that stays true after this weekend's BAFTAs.  I think your last, best chance to get in on Boyhood is right now.

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.