Dick Donovan vs Bob Gibson: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Gibson has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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 Gibson played 1959–1975 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 Gibson (1959–1975) — both came up during the 1950s, so the matchup is a direct one. Dick Donovan finished with 122 wins and 880 strikeouts; Bob Gibson finished with 251 wins and 3,117 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Bob Gibson, with 2.91 to Dick Donovan's 3.67.
- Who won more games? Bob Gibson, with 251 to Dick Donovan's 122.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Dick Donovan's 880.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Dick Donovan's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Bob Gibson, with 3,884.1 to Dick Donovan's 2,017.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Gibson, with 56 to Dick Donovan's 25.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bob Gibson, with 69,720 career Pitcher PIV to Dick Donovan's 8,578.
Dick Donovan
Bob Gibson
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dick Donovan | Bob Gibson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 122 | Leads: 251 |
| Losses not scored | 99 | 174 |
| Games | 345 | Leads: 528 |
| Games Started | 273 | Leads: 482 |
| Complete Games | 101 | Leads: 255 |
| Shutouts | 25 | Leads: 56 |
| Saves | 5 | Leads: 6 |
| Strikeouts | 880 | Leads: 3,117 |
| Walks not scored | 495 | 1,336 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,988 | 3,279 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 198 | 257 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,017.1 | Leads: 3,884.1 |
| ERA | 3.67 | Leads: 2.91 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.19 |
| K/9 | 3.93 | Leads: 7.22 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.21 | 3.10 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Gibson outpaces Dick Donovan 69,720 to 8,578 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,101 PIV per season to 572, across 17 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 Gibson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bob Gibson leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Dick Donovan owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bob Gibson. PIV agrees: Bob Gibson 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 Gibson careers compare
From 1959 through 1965, Dick Donovan and Bob Gibson were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Dick Donovan appeared in 345 games to Bob Gibson's 528. Dick Donovan's edges on the table are walks per nine (2.21 to 3.10). The per-nine rows read 3.93 strikeouts and 2.21 walks for Dick Donovan, 7.22 and 3.10 for Bob Gibson. Both had the same role: Dick Donovan was mainly a starter (273 starts in 345 games); Bob Gibson was mainly a starter (482 starts in 528 games). In WHIP, Bob Gibson's 1.19 beats Dick Donovan's 1.23.
Dick Donovan vs Bob Gibson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dick Donovan or Bob Gibson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Gibson leads Dick Donovan in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Gibson, with 2.91 to Dick Donovan's 3.67.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Gibson, with 251 to Dick Donovan's 122.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Dick Donovan's 880.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Dick Donovan's 1.23.