John Roper vs. Roy Smith — Career Comparison

John Roper built a career as a starting pitcher and Roy Smith as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Roy Smith posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 5.24 and WHIP 1.970 compared to 5.35 and 1.511 for John Roper. By the career numbers, Roy Smith had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.