Jim Blackburn vs. John Mitchell — Career Comparison

John Mitchell built a career as a starting pitcher and Jim Blackburn as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. John Mitchell posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 4.35 and WHIP 1.550 compared to 5.5 and 1.722 for Jim Blackburn. By the career numbers, John Mitchell had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.