John Bates vs. Dave Downs — Career Comparison

Dave Downs built a career as a starting pitcher and John Bates as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Dave Downs posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 2.74 and WHIP 1.217 compared to 13.5 and 2.500 for John Bates. By the career numbers, Dave Downs had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.