John Clarkson vs Tim Keefe: Career Stats Comparison
Tim Keefe has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 statistical categories compared on this page. John Clarkson played 1882–1894 as a pitcher; Tim Keefe played 1880–1893 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
John Clarkson (1882–1894) and Tim Keefe (1880–1893) — both came up during the 1880s, so the matchup is a direct one. John Clarkson compiled 328 wins and 1,978 strikeouts; Tim Keefe put up 342 wins and 2,564 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Tim Keefe, with 2.63 to John Clarkson's 2.81.
- Who won more games? Tim Keefe, with 342 to John Clarkson's 328.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tim Keefe, with 2,564 to John Clarkson's 1,978.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tim Keefe, with 1.12 to John Clarkson's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Tim Keefe, with 5,049 to John Clarkson's 4,536.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tim Keefe, with 39 to John Clarkson's 37.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tim Keefe, with 58,200 career Pitcher PIV to John Clarkson's 36,438.
John Clarkson
Tim Keefe
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. Totals where fewer is not an achievement -- losses, walks and hits allowed -- are left unmarked, because they track how long someone pitched rather than how well. Rate stats are not era-adjusted: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.
| Statistic | John Clarkson | Tim Keefe |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 328 | Leads: 342 |
| Losses | 178 | 225 |
| Games | 531 | Leads: 600 |
| Games Started | 518 | Leads: 594 |
| Complete Games | 485 | Leads: 554 |
| Shutouts | 37 | Leads: 39 |
| Saves | Leads: 5 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | 1,978 | Leads: 2,564 |
| Walks | 1,191 | 1,233 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,295 | 4,438 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 159 | 75 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,536 | Leads: 5,049 |
| ERA | 2.81 | Leads: 2.63 |
| WHIP | 1.21 | Leads: 1.12 |
| K/9 | 3.92 | Leads: 4.57 |
| BB/9 | 2.36 | Leads: 2.20 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tim Keefe outpaces John Clarkson 58,200 to 36,438 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,880 vs 2,803 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).
John Clarkson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Tim Keefe — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tim Keefe leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while John Clarkson owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tim Keefe. PIV agrees: Tim Keefe grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
John Clarkson vs Tim Keefe: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Clarkson or Tim Keefe?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tim Keefe leads John Clarkson in 11 of 12 categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tim Keefe, with 2.63 to John Clarkson's 2.81.
- Who won more games?
- Tim Keefe, with 342 to John Clarkson's 328.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tim Keefe, with 2,564 to John Clarkson's 1,978.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tim Keefe, with 1.12 to John Clarkson's 1.21.