John Murphy vs. Al Smith — Career Comparison

Looking at the career totals, John Murphy and Al Smith are fairly close on the surface numbers. John Murphy posted stronger numbers in ERA (3.61 vs 9) and WHIP (1.278 vs 3.000). Al Smith had the advantage in home runs allowed (0 per nine innings vs 0.34). By the career numbers, John Murphy had the better of this comparison — though ERA and WHIP alone don't account for era, park factors, or the defenses each pitcher worked behind.