John Bates vs. Rube Foster — Career Comparison

Rube Foster 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. Rube Foster posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 2.36 and WHIP 1.224 compared to 13.5 and 2.500 for John Bates. By the career numbers, Rube Foster had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.