Ben Bowden vs. Bob Vail — Career Comparison

Bob Vail built a career as a starting pitcher and Ben Bowden as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Bob Vail posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 6 and WHIP 1.467 compared to 6.02 and 1.748 for Ben Bowden. By the career numbers, Bob Vail had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.