Charles Bender vs Rube Waddell: Career Stats Comparison
Rube Waddell has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Charles Bender played 1903–1925 as a pitcher; Rube Waddell played 1897–1910 as a pitcher.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
Charles Bender (1903–1925) and Rube Waddell (1897–1910) — they debuted in the 1900s and the 1890s respectively and share 8 seasons. Charles Bender finished with 212 wins and 1,711 strikeouts; Rube Waddell finished with 193 wins and 2,316 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Rube Waddell, in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Rube Waddell, with 2.16 to Charles Bender's 2.46.
- Who won more games? Charles Bender, with 212 to Rube Waddell's 193.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rube Waddell, with 2,316 to Charles Bender's 1,711.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rube Waddell, with 1.10 to Charles Bender's 1.11.
- How many innings did each pitch? Charles Bender 3,017.0, Rube Waddell 2,961.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Rube Waddell, with 50 to Charles Bender's 40.
Charles Bender
Rube Waddell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate. Cells highlighted in green mark the player who leads that line. Lower ERA, WHIP and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Charles Bender | Rube Waddell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 212 | 193 |
| Losses not scored | 127 | 143 |
| Games not scored | 459 | 407 |
| Games Started not scored | 334 | 340 |
| Complete Games | 255 | Leads: 261 |
| Shutouts | 40 | Leads: 50 |
| Saves not scored | 34 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 1,711 | Leads: 2,316 |
| Walks not scored | 712 | 803 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,645 | 2,460 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 40 | 37 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,017.0 | 2,961.1 |
| ERA | 2.46 | Leads: 2.16 |
| WHIP | 1.11 | Leads: 1.10 |
| K/9 | 5.10 | Leads: 7.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.12 | 2.44 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rube Waddell outpaces Charles Bender 69,450 to 43,118 — driven by per-season impact — 5,342 PIV per season to 2,695 — rather than by longevity, since Rube Waddell played 13 seasons to Charles Bender's 16. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Charles Bender — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Rube Waddell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Rube Waddell leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, ERA, and others. Charles Bender leads 2: wins and walks per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rube Waddell. PIV agrees: Rube Waddell grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Charles Bender and Rube Waddell careers compare
The careers of Charles Bender (1903–1925) and Rube Waddell (1897–1910) overlapped from 1903 to 1910, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 459 games against 407 across 16 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Charles Bender are wins (212 to 193) and walks per nine (2.12 to 2.44). By rate, Charles Bender struck out 5.10 and walked 2.12 per nine innings; Rube Waddell struck out 7.04 and walked 2.44. Charles Bender was mainly a starter (334 starts in 459 games), and Rube Waddell was mainly a starter (340 starts in 407 games). In WHIP, Rube Waddell's 1.10 beats Charles Bender's 1.11.
Charles Bender vs Rube Waddell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Charles Bender or Rube Waddell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rube Waddell leads Charles Bender in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rube Waddell, with 2.16 to Charles Bender's 2.46.
- Who won more games?
- Charles Bender, with 212 to Rube Waddell's 193.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rube Waddell, with 2,316 to Charles Bender's 1,711.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rube Waddell, with 1.10 to Charles Bender's 1.11.