John Russell vs. Al Smith — Career Comparison

John Russell built a career as a starting pitcher and Al Smith as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. John Russell posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 5.4 and WHIP 1.656 compared to 9 and 3.000 for Al Smith. By the career numbers, John Russell had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.