Unknown Blackburn vs. Matt Thornton — Career Comparison

Unknown Blackburn built a career as a starting pitcher and Matt Thornton as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Unknown Blackburn posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 0.9 and WHIP 1.000 compared to 3.41 and 1.331 for Matt Thornton. By the career numbers, Unknown Blackburn had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.