Ewell Blackwell vs Bob Friend: Career Stats Comparison
Ewell Blackwell (1942–1955) and Bob Friend (1951–1966) — breaking in during the 1940s and the 1950s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Ewell Blackwell compiled 82 wins and 839 strikeouts; Bob Friend put up 197 wins and 1,734 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Ewell Blackwell
Bob Friend
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Ewell Blackwell | Bob Friend |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 82 | 197 |
| Losses | 78 | 230 |
| Games | 236 | 602 |
| Games Started | 169 | 497 |
| Complete Games | 69 | 163 |
| Shutouts | 15 | 36 |
| Saves | 10 | 11 |
| Strikeouts | 839 | 1,734 |
| Walks | 562 | 894 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,150 | 3,772 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 67 | 286 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,321 | 3,611 |
| ERA | 3.30 | 3.58 |
| WHIP | 1.30 | 1.29 |
| K/9 | 5.72 | 4.32 |
| BB/9 | 3.83 | 2.23 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Friend outpaces Ewell Blackwell 45,735 to 23,344 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,690 vs 2,122 per year). 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).
Ewell Blackwell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bob Friend — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bob Friend leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Ewell Blackwell owns ERA and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bob Friend. PIV agrees: Bob Friend grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.