John Ely vs. Larry Hardy — Career Comparison

John Ely built a career as a starting pitcher and Larry Hardy as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Larry Hardy posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 5.29 and WHIP 1.929 compared to 5.7 and 1.552 for John Ely. By the career numbers, Larry Hardy had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.