John Clarkson vs Tim Keefe: Career Stats Comparison
Tim Keefe has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). 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 debuted in the 1880s. John Clarkson finished with 328 wins and 1,978 strikeouts; Tim Keefe finished with 342 wins and 2,564 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Tim Keefe, in 8 of the 8 scored 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.
- How many innings did each pitch? John Clarkson 4,536.1, Tim Keefe 5,049.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tim Keefe, with 39 to John Clarkson's 37.
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. 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 | John Clarkson | Tim Keefe |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 328 | Leads: 342 |
| Losses not scored | 178 | 225 |
| Games not scored | 531 | 600 |
| Games Started not scored | 518 | 594 |
| Complete Games | 485 | Leads: 554 |
| Shutouts | 37 | Leads: 39 |
| Saves not scored | 5 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | 1,978 | Leads: 2,564 |
| Walks not scored | 1,191 | 1,233 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,295 | 4,438 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 159 | 75 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 4,536.1 | 5,049.2 |
| 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 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,157 PIV per season to 3,036, across 14 seasons to 12. 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
Tim Keefe leads 8 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. John Clarkson leads 0: no scored category. 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
How the John Clarkson and Tim Keefe careers compare
John Clarkson and Tim Keefe were active at the same time between 1882 and 1893. The two careers are close in length, 531 games for John Clarkson and 600 for Tim Keefe across 12 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Tim Keefe. The per-nine rows read 3.92 strikeouts and 2.36 walks for John Clarkson, 4.57 and 2.20 for Tim Keefe. Both had the same role: John Clarkson was mainly a starter (518 starts in 531 games); Tim Keefe was mainly a starter (594 starts in 600 games). Tim Keefe allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.12 WHIP to John Clarkson's 1.21.
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 8 of the 8 scored 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.