Candy Cummings vs Tim Keefe: Career Stats Comparison
Tim Keefe has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Candy Cummings played 1872–1877 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
Candy Cummings (1872–1877) and Tim Keefe (1880–1893) — breaking in during the 1870s and the 1880s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Candy Cummings finished with 145 wins and 259 strikeouts; Tim Keefe finished with 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? Candy Cummings, with 2.42 to Tim Keefe's 2.63.
- Who won more games? Tim Keefe, with 342 to Candy Cummings's 145.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tim Keefe, with 2,564 to Candy Cummings's 259.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tim Keefe, with 1.12 to Candy Cummings's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Tim Keefe, with 5,049.2 to Candy Cummings's 2,149.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tim Keefe, with 39 to Candy Cummings's 19.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tim Keefe, with 58,200 career Pitcher PIV to Candy Cummings's 8,753.
Candy Cummings
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. 12 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 4 are counting totals on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded them. 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, and the 1870s and the 1880s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Candy Cummings | Tim Keefe |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 145 | Leads: 342 |
| Losses not scored | 94 | 225 |
| Games | 242 | Leads: 600 |
| Games Started | 241 | Leads: 594 |
| Complete Games | 233 | Leads: 554 |
| Shutouts | 19 | Leads: 39 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 2 |
| Strikeouts | 259 | Leads: 2,564 |
| Walks not scored | 113 | 1,233 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,526 | 4,438 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 12 | 75 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,149.2 | Leads: 5,049.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.42 | 2.63 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.12 |
| K/9 | 1.08 | Leads: 4.57 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 0.47 | 2.20 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tim Keefe outpaces Candy Cummings 58,200 to 8,753 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,880 PIV per season to 1,459, across 15 seasons to 6. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Candy Cummings — 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, WHIP, and K/9, while Candy Cummings owns ERA. 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
How the Candy Cummings and Tim Keefe careers compare
Candy Cummings (1872–1877) was finished before Tim Keefe (1880–1893) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Candy Cummings appeared in 242 games to Tim Keefe's 600. The green cells for Candy Cummings are ERA (2.42 to 2.63) and walks per nine (0.47 to 2.20). By rate, Candy Cummings struck out 1.08 and walked 0.47 per nine innings; Tim Keefe struck out 4.57 and walked 2.20. Both had the same role: Candy Cummings was mainly a starter (241 starts in 242 games); Tim Keefe was mainly a starter (594 starts in 600 games). In WHIP, Tim Keefe's 1.12 beats Candy Cummings's 1.23.
Candy Cummings vs Tim Keefe: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Candy Cummings or Tim Keefe?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tim Keefe leads Candy Cummings in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Candy Cummings, with 2.42 to Tim Keefe's 2.63.
- Who won more games?
- Tim Keefe, with 342 to Candy Cummings's 145.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tim Keefe, with 2,564 to Candy Cummings's 259.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tim Keefe, with 1.12 to Candy Cummings's 1.23.