Terry Forster vs Rich Gossage: Career Stats Comparison
Rich Gossage 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). Terry Forster played 1971–1986 as a pitcher; Rich Gossage played 1972–1994 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
Terry Forster (1971–1986) and Rich Gossage (1972–1994) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Terry Forster finished with 54 wins and 791 strikeouts; Rich Gossage finished with 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Rich Gossage, with 3.01 to Terry Forster's 3.23.
- Who won more games? Rich Gossage, with 124 to Terry Forster's 54.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Terry Forster's 791.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rich Gossage, with 1.23 to Terry Forster's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Rich Gossage, with 1,809.1 to Terry Forster's 1,105.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rich Gossage, with 28,157 career Pitcher PIV to Terry Forster's 17,266.
Terry Forster
Rich Gossage
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 | Terry Forster | Rich Gossage |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 54 | Leads: 124 |
| Losses not scored | 65 | 107 |
| Games | 614 | Leads: 1,002 |
| Games Started | Leads: 39 | 37 |
| Complete Games | 5 | Leads: 16 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 127 | Leads: 310 |
| Strikeouts | 791 | Leads: 1,502 |
| Walks not scored | 457 | 732 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,034 | 1,497 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 51 | 119 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,105.2 | Leads: 1,809.1 |
| ERA | 3.23 | Leads: 3.01 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | Leads: 1.23 |
| K/9 | 6.44 | Leads: 7.47 |
| BB/9 | 3.72 | Leads: 3.64 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rich Gossage outpaces Terry Forster 28,157 to 17,266 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,224 PIV per season to 1,079, across 23 seasons to 16. 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).
Terry Forster — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Rich Gossage — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rich Gossage leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Terry Forster owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rich Gossage. PIV agrees: Rich Gossage grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Terry Forster and Rich Gossage careers compare
The careers of Terry Forster (1971–1986) and Rich Gossage (1972–1994) overlapped from 1972 to 1986, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Terry Forster appeared in 614 games to Rich Gossage's 1,002. Where Terry Forster comes out ahead, it is in starts (39 to 37). By rate, Terry Forster struck out 6.44 and walked 3.72 per nine innings; Rich Gossage struck out 7.47 and walked 3.64. Terry Forster worked mostly in relief (39 starts in 614 games, 127 saves), and Rich Gossage worked mostly in relief (37 starts in 1,002 games, 310 saves).
Terry Forster vs Rich Gossage: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Terry Forster or Rich Gossage?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rich Gossage leads Terry Forster in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rich Gossage, with 3.01 to Terry Forster's 3.23.
- Who won more games?
- Rich Gossage, with 124 to Terry Forster's 54.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Terry Forster's 791.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rich Gossage, with 1.23 to Terry Forster's 1.35.