John Bates vs. Rollie Sheldon — Career Comparison

Rollie Sheldon 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. Rollie Sheldon posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 4.09 and WHIP 1.332 compared to 13.5 and 2.500 for John Bates. By the career numbers, Rollie Sheldon had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.