Doug Bird vs. John Thomson — Career Comparison

John Thomson built a career as a starting pitcher and Doug Bird as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. John Thomson led in home run suppression (HR9+ 103 vs 65), run prevention (ERA+ 96 vs 75), and skill-based run prevention (DICE+ 104 vs 91). Doug Bird held the edge in walk avoidance (BB%+ 168 vs 132). Role difference aside, John Thomson holds a clear edge on every meaningful shared measure.