Lum Davenport vs. Barry Zito — Career Comparison

Barry Zito 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. Barry Zito posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 4.04 and WHIP 1.357 compared to 7.71 and 1.954 for Lum Davenport. By the career numbers, Barry Zito had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.