Farmer Burns vs. Tom Johnson — Career Comparison

Tom Johnson built a career as a starting pitcher and Farmer Burns as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Tom Johnson posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 3.36 and WHIP 1.226 compared to 9 and 3.000 for Farmer Burns. By the career numbers, Tom Johnson had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.