Red Long vs. Red Ruffing — Career Comparison

Red Ruffing built a career as a starting pitcher and Red Long as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Red Long posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 1.13 and WHIP 0.875 compared to 3.8 and 1.341 for Red Ruffing. By the career numbers, Red Long had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.