Bill Dickey vs Rick Ferrell: Career Stats Comparison
Bill Dickey has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Bill Dickey played 1928–1946 as a hitter; Rick Ferrell played 1929–1947 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Bill Dickey (1928–1946) and Rick Ferrell (1929–1947) — both broke in during the 1920s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Bill Dickey finished with 1,969 hits and 202 home runs; Rick Ferrell finished with 1,692 hits and 28 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Bill Dickey, with 202 to Rick Ferrell's 28.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bill Dickey, with .868 to Rick Ferrell's .741.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bill Dickey, with .313 to Rick Ferrell's .281.
- Who had more hits? Bill Dickey, with 1,969 to Rick Ferrell's 1,692.
- Who drove in more runs? Bill Dickey, with 1,209 to Rick Ferrell's 734.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bill Dickey, with 23,944 career PIV to Rick Ferrell's 6,474.
- Who won more championships? Bill Dickey, with 8 World Series titles to Rick Ferrell's 0.
Bill Dickey
Rick Ferrell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bill Dickey and Rick Ferrell. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. 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 | Bill Dickey | Rick Ferrell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,789 | Leads: 1,884 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,300 | 6,028 |
| Runs | Leads: 930 | 687 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,969 | 1,692 |
| Doubles | Leads: 343 | 324 |
| Triples | Leads: 72 | 45 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 202 | 28 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,209 | 734 |
| Walks | 678 | Leads: 931 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 289 | 277 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 37 | 29 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .281 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .382 | .378 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .486 | .363 |
| OPS | Leads: .868 | .741 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bill Dickey outpaces Rick Ferrell 23,944 to 6,474 — driven by per-season impact — 1,408 PIV per season to 308 — rather than by longevity, since Bill Dickey played 17 seasons to Rick Ferrell's 21. 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 OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Bill Dickey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Rick Ferrell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bill Dickey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Rick Ferrell owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bill Dickey. PIV agrees: Bill Dickey grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bill Dickey and Rick Ferrell careers compare
The careers of Bill Dickey (1928–1946) and Rick Ferrell (1929–1947) overlapped from 1929 to 1946, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,789 games against 1,884 across 17 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Rick Ferrell comes out ahead, it is in games (1,884 to 1,789) and walks (931 to 678). Bill Dickey walked more often than struck out (678 walks, 289 strikeouts); Rick Ferrell walked more often than struck out (931 walks, 277 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Bill Dickey's hits: 202 of 1,969 for Bill Dickey, 28 of 1,692 for Rick Ferrell.
Bill Dickey vs Rick Ferrell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bill Dickey or Rick Ferrell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bill Dickey leads Rick Ferrell in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bill Dickey or Rick Ferrell hit more home runs?
- Bill Dickey, with 202 to Rick Ferrell's 28.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bill Dickey, with .868 to Rick Ferrell's .741.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bill Dickey, with .313 to Rick Ferrell's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Bill Dickey, with 1,969 to Rick Ferrell's 1,692.