More WAR

In the spirit of columnist Sidney J. Harris, I learned this looking up something else.  Did you know Bronson Arroyo has a higher career WAR than Jack Billingham?  I didn’t.

 

Not only does Arroyo have a higher WAR, he has an astronomically higher WAR, as in 23.4 vs 7.4 for Billingham.  Apparently, the proof is in the formula, not the stats.  Arroyo pitched sixteen seasons, amassing career totals of 148-137 with a 4.28 ERA.  In seven postseason series spanning 29.1 innings pitched, he went 1-0 with a 4.60 ERA.  That includes a 6.75 ERA in 2.2 innings for the Red Sox in the 2004 World Series.

 

And Billingham?  Let’s see, now.  He pitched thirteen years, with career totals of 145-113 and 3.83 ERA.  In five postseason series, he went 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA in 42 innings.  In three World Series, he faced the 1972 A’s; ’75 Red Sox; and the ’76 Yankees, going a total of 25.1 innings with a 2-0 record and a 0.36 ERA.

Now, will someone please tell me how the hell Bronson Arroyo has a WAR three times greater than Jack Billingham?