Fred Buckingham vs. Christy Mathewson — Career Comparison

Christy Mathewson built a career as a starting pitcher and Fred Buckingham as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Christy Mathewson posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 2.13 and WHIP 1.058 compared to 6 and 2.667 for Fred Buckingham. By the career numbers, Christy Mathewson had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.