Brian Barkley vs. John Fitzgerald — Career Comparison

John Fitzgerald built a career as a starting pitcher and Brian Barkley as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. John Fitzgerald posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 3 and WHIP 0.667 compared to 9.82 and 2.364 for Brian Barkley. By the career numbers, John Fitzgerald had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.