Theolic Smith vs. John Sowders — Career Comparison

Theolic Smith built a career as a starting pitcher and John Sowders as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. John Sowders posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 4.29 and WHIP 1.698 compared to 4.95 and 1.511 for Theolic Smith. By the career numbers, John Sowders had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.