Walter Ball vs. Bruce Sutter — Career Comparison

Walter Ball
Pre-GenerationalMichiganThrows RightBats RightNorth AmericaChicago GiantsNegro National LeagueStarting Pitcher
Bruce Sutter
Baby BoomersPennsylvaniaThrows RightBats RightNorth AmericaChicago CubsNational LeagueHall of FameRelief PitcherCy Young AwardAll-Star

Walter Ball built a career as a starting pitcher and Bruce Sutter as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Walter Ball posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 2.65 and WHIP 1.220 compared to 2.83 and 1.220 for Bruce Sutter. By the career numbers, Walter Ball had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.

Pitching Stats for Walter Ball and Bruce Sutter

Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
13
13
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
12
12
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
78
1.32
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
661
5.71
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
57
0.97
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
32
0.54
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
68
0.59
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
27
0.46
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
71
0.61
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
54.24
54.24
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
48.92
48.92
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
73.08
73.08
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
49
0.83
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
5
0.08
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
2
0.03
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
300
2.59
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
156
2.65
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
328
2.83
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
2.65
2.65
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
2.83
2.83
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
2.93
2.93
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
2.62
2.62
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
3.08
3.08
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
3.24
3.24
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.261
0.261
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.23
0.23
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
1591
27
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
3126
27
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
530.1
9
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
1042
9
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
525
8.91
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
879
7.59
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
8.91
8.91
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
7.59
7.59
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
10
0.17
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
77
0.67
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.17
0.17
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.67
0.67
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.13
0.13
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.12
0.12
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
122
2.07
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
309
2.67
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0
0
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
83
0.72
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
2.07
2.07
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
2.67
2.67
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
248
4.21
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
861
7.44
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
4.21
4.21
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
7.44
7.44
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
3.18
3.18
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
1.3
1.3
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.698
0.698
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
1.123
1.123
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0
0
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
37
0.32
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
15
0.25
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
13
0.11
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0
0
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
8
0.07
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
2211
37.52
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
4251
36.72
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
6
0.1
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
512
4.42
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
231
3.92
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
370
3.2
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
3.92
3.92
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
3.2
3.2
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
60
1.02
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
75
0.65
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0
0
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
25
0.22
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
42
0.71
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
85
0.73
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
1.22
1.22
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
1.14
1.14
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
2014
34.18
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
3829
33.07
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
2.96
2.96
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.56
0.56
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.293
0.293
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.277
0.277
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
37.52
37.52
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
36.72
36.72

Fielding Stats for Walter Ball and Bruce Sutter

Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
13
13
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
12
12
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
116
1.32
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
661
5.71
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
32
0.37
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
2364
27
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
3126
27
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
788
9
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
1042
9
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
50
0.57
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
90
0.78
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
147
1.68
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
145
1.25
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
11
0.13
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
9
0.08
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
208
2.38
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
244
2.11
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
197
2.25
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
235
2.03
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
94.71
94.71
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
96.31
96.31
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
1.698
1.698
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.356
0.356
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
27.59
27.59
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
7
0.08
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
9
0.08
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0

Hitting Stats for Walter Ball and Bruce Sutter

Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
13
13
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
12
12
Walter Ball
Career
Per 600 PA
116
201.16
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
661
3277.69
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
346
600
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
121
600
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
321
556.65
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
102
505.79
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.259
0.259
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
0.088
0.088
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.625
0.625
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
0.346
0.346
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
83
143.93
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
9
44.63
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
72
124.86
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
9
44.63
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
6
10.4
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
4
6.94
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
1
1.73
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
11
19.08
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.133
0.133
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.003
0.003
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.012
0.012
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
29.41
50.99
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
1.46
7.22
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
100
173.41
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
9
44.63
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
98
169.94
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
17
84.3
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.292
0.292
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
0.153
0.153
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.312
0.312
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
0.088
0.088
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.603
0.603
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
0.241
0.241
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.053
0.053
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.209
0.209
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
0.091
0.091
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.487
0.487
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
0.192
0.192
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.256
0.256
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
0.17
0.17
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
35
60.69
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
6
29.75
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
35
60.69
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
6
29.75
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
69
119.65
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
12
59.5
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
35.55
61.64
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
-1.85
-9.17
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
2
3.47
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PAverified
1
4.96
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
13
22.54
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PAverified
7
34.71
Walter Ball
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0
0
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
50
247.93
Walter Ball
Career
Per 600 PA
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
2.42
2.42
Walter Ball
Career
Per 600 PA
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.14
0.14
Walter Ball
Career
Per 600 PA
10
17.34
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PAverified
10
49.59
Walter Ball
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bruce Sutter
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
1
4.96
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0
0
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
1
4.96
Walter Ball
Career
Per 600 PA
1
1.73
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PAverified
1
4.96
Walter Ball
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Career
Per 600 PA
1
1.73
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PAverified
1
4.96
Walter Ball
Career
Per 600 PA
100
100
Bruce Sutter
Career
Per 600 PA
100
100