Lum Davenport vs. Doug Rau — Career Comparison

Doug Rau built a career as a starting pitcher and Lum Davenport as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Doug Rau posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 3.35 and WHIP 1.312 compared to 7.71 and 1.954 for Lum Davenport. By the career numbers, Doug Rau had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.