Christy Mathewson vs. John Murphy — Career Comparison

Christy Mathewson built a career as a starting pitcher and John Murphy as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Christy Mathewson posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 2.13 and WHIP 1.058 compared to 3.61 and 1.278 for John Murphy. By the career numbers, Christy Mathewson had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.