Dick Donovan vs Gaylord Perry: Career Stats Comparison
Gaylord Perry 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; Gaylord Perry played 1962–1983 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 Gaylord Perry (1962–1983) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Dick Donovan finished with 122 wins and 880 strikeouts; Gaylord Perry finished with 314 wins and 3,534 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Gaylord Perry, with 3.11 to Dick Donovan's 3.67.
- Who won more games? Gaylord Perry, with 314 to Dick Donovan's 122.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gaylord Perry, with 3,534 to Dick Donovan's 880.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gaylord Perry, with 1.18 to Dick Donovan's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Gaylord Perry, with 5,350.1 to Dick Donovan's 2,017.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Gaylord Perry, with 53 to Dick Donovan's 25.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Gaylord Perry, with 78,312 career Pitcher PIV to Dick Donovan's 8,578.
Dick Donovan
Gaylord Perry
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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dick Donovan | Gaylord Perry |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 122 | Leads: 314 |
| Losses not scored | 99 | 265 |
| Games | 345 | Leads: 777 |
| Games Started | 273 | Leads: 690 |
| Complete Games | 101 | Leads: 303 |
| Shutouts | 25 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves | 5 | Leads: 11 |
| Strikeouts | 880 | Leads: 3,534 |
| Walks not scored | 495 | 1,379 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,988 | 4,938 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 198 | 399 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,017.1 | Leads: 5,350.1 |
| ERA | 3.67 | Leads: 3.11 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.18 |
| K/9 | 3.93 | Leads: 5.94 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.21 | 2.32 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gaylord Perry outpaces Dick Donovan 78,312 to 8,578 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,132 PIV per season to 572, across 25 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)
Gaylord Perry — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gaylord Perry 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 Gaylord Perry. PIV agrees: Gaylord Perry 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 Gaylord Perry careers compare
From 1962 through 1965, Dick Donovan and Gaylord Perry were in the majors together. Gaylord Perry has the far longer record, 777 games against 345 across 15 and 25 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Dick Donovan comes out ahead, it is in walks per nine (2.21 to 2.32). The per-nine rows read 3.93 strikeouts and 2.21 walks for Dick Donovan, 5.94 and 2.32 for Gaylord Perry. Both had the same role: Dick Donovan was mainly a starter (273 starts in 345 games); Gaylord Perry was mainly a starter (690 starts in 777 games). Complete games (101 to 303) show how differently the two eras used starters.
Dick Donovan vs Gaylord Perry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dick Donovan or Gaylord Perry?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gaylord Perry leads Dick Donovan in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gaylord Perry, with 3.11 to Dick Donovan's 3.67.
- Who won more games?
- Gaylord Perry, with 314 to Dick Donovan's 122.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gaylord Perry, with 3,534 to Dick Donovan's 880.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gaylord Perry, with 1.18 to Dick Donovan's 1.23.