Dick Donovan vs Bob Feller: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Feller 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). Dick Donovan played 1950–1965 as a pitcher; Bob Feller played 1936–1956 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
Dick Donovan (1950–1965) and Bob Feller (1936–1956) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1930s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Dick Donovan finished with 122 wins and 880 strikeouts; Bob Feller finished with 266 wins and 2,581 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Bob Feller, with 3.25 to Dick Donovan's 3.67.
- Who won more games? Bob Feller, with 266 to Dick Donovan's 122.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Feller, with 2,581 to Dick Donovan's 880.
- Who had the better WHIP? Dick Donovan, with 1.23 to Bob Feller's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Bob Feller, with 3,827.0 to Dick Donovan's 2,017.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Feller, with 44 to Dick Donovan's 25.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bob Feller, with 48,739 career Pitcher PIV to Dick Donovan's 8,578.
Dick Donovan
Bob Feller
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 1950s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dick Donovan | Bob Feller |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 122 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 99 | 162 |
| Games | 345 | Leads: 570 |
| Games Started | 273 | Leads: 484 |
| Complete Games | 101 | Leads: 279 |
| Shutouts | 25 | Leads: 44 |
| Saves | 5 | Leads: 21 |
| Strikeouts | 880 | Leads: 2,581 |
| Walks not scored | 495 | 1,764 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,988 | 3,271 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 198 | 224 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,017.1 | Leads: 3,827.0 |
| ERA | 3.67 | Leads: 3.25 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.23 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | 3.93 | Leads: 6.07 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.21 | 4.15 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Feller outpaces Dick Donovan 48,739 to 8,578 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,708 PIV per season to 572, across 18 seasons to 15. 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).
Dick Donovan — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bob Feller — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bob Feller leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Dick Donovan owns WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bob Feller. PIV agrees: Bob Feller grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dick Donovan and Bob Feller careers compare
Dick Donovan and Bob Feller were active at the same time between 1950 and 1956. Bob Feller has the far longer record, 570 games against 345 across 15 and 18 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Dick Donovan are WHIP (1.23 to 1.32) and walks per nine (2.21 to 4.15). The per-nine rows read 3.93 strikeouts and 2.21 walks for Dick Donovan, 6.07 and 4.15 for Bob Feller. Both had the same role: Dick Donovan was mainly a starter (273 starts in 345 games); Bob Feller was mainly a starter (484 starts in 570 games). Dick Donovan allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.23 WHIP to Bob Feller's 1.32.
Dick Donovan vs Bob Feller: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dick Donovan or Bob Feller?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Feller leads Dick Donovan in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Feller, with 3.25 to Dick Donovan's 3.67.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Feller, with 266 to Dick Donovan's 122.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Feller, with 2,581 to Dick Donovan's 880.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Dick Donovan, with 1.23 to Bob Feller's 1.32.