Doug Bird vs. John Shaffer — Career Comparison

Looking at the career totals, Doug Bird and John Shaffer are fairly close on the surface numbers. Doug Bird posted stronger numbers in ERA (3.99 vs 4.57) and WHIP (1.339 vs 1.492). John Shaffer had the advantage in home runs allowed (0.15 per nine innings vs 0.9). By the career numbers, Doug Bird 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.