Questioning fielding component of WAR: Roger Maris worst fielding RF in 1961.

This will come as a shock to people who watched games back then.

Right field:

Rk	Player	dWAR	WAR/pos	oWAR	Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
1	Al Kaline	2.2	8.4	5.6	1961	26	DET	AL	153	665	586	116	190	41	7	19	82	66	2	42	4	4	5	16	14	1	.324	.393	.515	.909	*98/H75
2	Willie Kirkland	0.1	2.8	2.2	1961	27	CLE	AL	146	585	525	84	136	22	5	27	95	48	4	77	1	4	7	3	7	0	.259	.318	.474	.793	*9H
3	Jackie Jensen	-0.1	0.6	0.2	1961	34	BOS	AL	137	573	498	64	131	21	2	13	66	66	2	69	3	2	4	16	9	8	.263	.350	.392	.742	*9/H7
4	Lee Thomas	-0.2	2.1	1.7	1961	25	TOT	AL	132	507	452	77	129	11	5	24	70	47	2	74	2	2	3	12	0	5	.285	.353	.491	.844	937H
5	Albie Pearson	-0.4	3.2	3.3	1961	26	LAA	AL	144	537	427	92	123	21	3	7	41	96	1	40	3	7	2	3	11	3	.288	.420	.400	.821	*98H/7
6	Bob Allison	-0.7	2.1	2.1	1961	26	MIN	AL	159	677	556	83	136	21	3	29	105	103	1	100	5	5	8	17	2	7	.245	.363	.450	.813	*93/H
7	Roger Maris	-0.8	6.9	7.0	1961	26	NYY	AL	161	698	590	132	159	16	4	61	141	94	0	67	7	0	7	16	0	0	.269	.372	.620	.993	*98/H

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used

Generated 2/13/2016.

Maris had zero steal attempts and zero intentional walks. However, I do not recall Maris being slow. He and his teammates set a new team record for home runs that stood for decades, well into the designated hitter era, which started in 1973.

Only two American League right fielders have dWAR above average.

I just don't buy into the fielding component of WAR whether using general data back in 1961 or more specific data now, either using Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) or Defensive Runs Saved (DRS).

Left field:

Rk	Player	dWAR	WAR/pos	oWAR	Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
1	Rocky Colavito	0.9	7.6	5.9	1961	27	DET	AL	163	708	583	129	169	30	2	45	140	113	2	75	2	2	8	14	1	2	.290	.402	.580	.982	*79/H
2	Tito Francona	-0.6	3.2	3.0	1961	27	CLE	AL	155	667	592	87	178	30	8	16	85	56	3	52	4	12	3	11	2	1	.301	.363	.459	.823	*73/H
3	Leon Wagner	-1.2	1.5	2.1	1961	27	LAA	AL	133	511	453	74	127	19	2	28	79	48	2	65	3	0	7	5	5	1	.280	.348	.517	.865	*7H9
4	Minnie Minoso	-2.2	2.0	3.5	1961	35	CHW	AL	152	635	540	91	151	28	3	14	82	67	2	46	16	0	12	11	9	4	.280	.369	.420	.789	*7/H

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 2/13/2016.

Center field:

Rk	Player	dWAR	WAR/pos	oWAR	Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
1	Jim Piersall	1.5	4.8	3.3	1961	31	CLE	AL	121	536	484	81	156	26	7	6	40	43	1	46	2	4	3	18	8	2	.322	.378	.442	.820	*8/H
2	Bill Bruton	0.7	2.6	1.9	1961	35	DET	AL	160	668	596	99	153	15	5	17	63	61	0	66	3	5	3	9	22	6	.257	.327	.384	.712	*8/H
3	Jim Landis	0.0	3.9	3.9	1961	27	CHW	AL	140	618	534	87	151	18	8	22	85	65	0	71	4	10	5	10	19	5	.283	.362	.470	.832	*8/H
4	Mickey Mantle	-0.1	10.5	10.6	1961	29	NYY	AL	153	646	514	131	163	16	6	54	128	126	9	112	0	1	5	2	12	1	.317	.448	.687	1.135	*8/H
5	Jackie Brandt	-0.2	3.7	3.6	1961	27	BAL	AL	139	584	516	93	153	18	5	16	72	62	0	51	1	2	3	17	10	2	.297	.371	.444	.815	*897/H5
6	Gary Geiger	-0.6	1.6	2.3	1961	24	BOS	AL	140	600	499	82	116	21	6	18	64	87	4	91	4	6	3	7	16	4	.232	.349	.407	.756	*8/H
7	Ken Hunt	-0.6	1.0	1.4	1961	26	LAA	AL	149	540	479	70	122	29	3	25	84	49	1	120	4	3	6	12	8	2	.255	.325	.484	.810	*8H9/74
8	Willie Tasby	-0.6	0.4	1.0	1961	28	WSA	AL	141	561	494	54	124	13	2	17	63	58	2	94	2	3	4	15	4	10	.251	.330	.389	.718	*8/H9
9	Lenny Green	-0.8	2.2	2.6	1961	28	MIN	AL	156	692	600	92	171	28	7	9	50	81	2	50	6	3	2	5	17	11	.285	.374	.400	.774	*87/9H

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 2/13/2016.