John Bates vs. Bob Macdonald — Career Comparison

Looking at the career totals, John Bates and Bob Macdonald are fairly close on the surface numbers. Bob Macdonald posted stronger numbers in ERA (4.34 vs 13.5) and WHIP (1.506 vs 2.500). John Bates had the advantage in home runs allowed (0 per nine innings vs 1). By the career numbers, Bob Macdonald had the better of this comparison — though ERA and WHIP alone don't account for era, park factors, or the defenses each pitcher worked behind.