Rollie Fingers vs Gary Lavelle: Career Stats Comparison
Rollie Fingers (1968–1985) and Gary Lavelle (1974–1987) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Rollie Fingers compiled 114 wins and 1,299 strikeouts; Gary Lavelle put up 80 wins and 769 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Rollie Fingers
Gary Lavelle
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Rollie Fingers | Gary Lavelle |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 114 | 80 |
| Losses | 118 | 77 |
| Games | 944 | 745 |
| Games Started | 37 | 3 |
| Complete Games | 4 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 2 | 0 |
| Saves | 341 | 136 |
| Strikeouts | 1,299 | 769 |
| Walks | 492 | 440 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,474 | 1,004 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 123 | 51 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,701 | 1,085 |
| ERA | 2.90 | 2.93 |
| WHIP | 1.16 | 1.33 |
| K/9 | 6.87 | 6.38 |
| BB/9 | 2.60 | 3.65 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rollie Fingers outpaces Gary Lavelle 33,082 to 18,454 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,946 vs 1,318 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Rollie Fingers — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Gary Lavelle — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rollie Fingers leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Gary Lavelle owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rollie Fingers. PIV agrees: Rollie Fingers grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.