John Axford vs. Dave Dowling — Career Comparison

Dave Dowling built a career as a starting pitcher and John Axford as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Dave Dowling posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 1.8 and WHIP 1.200 compared to 3.9 and 1.455 for John Axford. By the career numbers, Dave Dowling had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.