Bill James vs. Jack O'Connor — Career Comparison

Bill James
Lost GenerationCaliforniaThrows RightBats RightNorth AmericaBoston BravesNational LeagueStarting Pitcher
Jack O'Connor
Baby BoomersCaliforniaThrows LeftBats LeftNorth AmericaMinnesota TwinsAmerican LeagueRelief Pitcher

Bill James built a career as a starting pitcher and Jack O'Connor as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Bill James posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 2.28 and WHIP 1.233 compared to 4.89 and 1.657 for Jack O'Connor. By the career numbers, Bill James had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.

Pitching Stats for Bill James and Jack O'Connor

Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
4
4
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
6
6
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
84
1.4
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
129
3.64
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
61
1.01
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
28
0.79
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
37
0.61
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
14
0.4
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
21
0.35
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
17
0.48
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
63.79
63.79
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
45.16
45.16
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
72.62
72.62
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
21.71
21.71
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
44
0.73
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
6
0.17
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
5
0.08
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
1
0.03
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
2
0.03
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
2
0.06
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
137
2.28
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
173
4.89
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
2.28
2.28
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
4.89
4.89
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
2.97
2.97
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
5.02
5.02
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
3.63
3.63
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
4.93
4.93
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.235
0.235
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.278
0.278
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
1625
27
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
956
27
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
541.2
9
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
318.2
9
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
469
7.79
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
343
9.69
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
7.79
7.79
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
9.69
9.69
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
14
0.23
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
36
1.02
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.23
0.23
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
1.02
1.02
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.17
0.17
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.28
0.28
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
199
3.31
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
163
4.6
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0
0
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
22
0.62
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
3.31
3.31
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
4.6
4.6
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
253
4.2
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
177
5
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
4.2
4.2
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
5
5
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
3.01
3.01
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
1.37
1.37
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.835
0.835
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
1.067
1.067
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
17
0.28
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
10
0.28
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
22
0.37
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
4
0.11
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
2
0.03
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
2
0.06
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
2217
36.84
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
1426
40.27
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
20
0.33
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
37
1.04
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
196
3.26
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
187
5.28
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
3.26
3.26
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
5.28
5.28
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0
0
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
15
0.42
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0
0
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
11
0.31
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
36
1.02
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
1.233
1.233
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
1.588
1.588
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
1996
33.16
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
1233
34.82
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
2.33
2.33
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
1.45
1.45
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.263
0.263
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.301
0.301
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
36.84
36.84
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
40.27
40.27

Fielding Stats for Bill James and Jack O'Connor

Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
4
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
6
6
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
84
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
129
3.64
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
28
0.79
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
956
27
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
318.2
9
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
13
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
10
0.28
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
148
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
23
0.65
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
17
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
3
0.08
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
178
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
36
1.02
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
161
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
33
0.93
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
90.45
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
91.67
91.67
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
1.917
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.256
0.256
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
21.71
21.71
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
9
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
5
0.14
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0

Hitting Stats for Bill James and Jack O'Connor

Bill James
Career
Per 600 PAverified
4
4
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
6
Bill James
Career
Per 600 PAverified
88
251.43
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
129
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
210
600
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
199
568.57
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.231
0.231
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.529
0.529
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
46
131.43
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
41
117.14
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
5
14.29
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
5
14.29
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.109
0.109
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
Bill James
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
Bill James
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
12.16
34.74
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
51
145.71
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
49
140
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.243
0.243
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.256
0.256
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.499
0.499
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.025
0.025
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.173
0.173
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.366
0.366
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.297
0.297
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
18
51.43
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
9
25.71
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
27
77.14
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
13.98
39.94
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
1
2.86
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
2
5.71
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Career
Per 600 PA
44
125.71
Jack O'Connor
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
4.77
4.77
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.05
0.05
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
8
22.86
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
2
5.71
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
2
5.71
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
100
100
Jack O'Connor
Career
Per 600 PA