Ben Flowers vs. Elam Vangilder — Career Comparison

Elam Vangilder built a career as a starting pitcher and Ben Flowers as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Elam Vangilder posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 4.28 and WHIP 1.511 compared to 4.49 and 1.461 for Ben Flowers. By the career numbers, Elam Vangilder had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.