Terry Forster vs Rich Gossage: Career Stats Comparison
Terry Forster (1971–1986) and Rich Gossage (1972–1994) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Terry Forster compiled 54 wins and 791 strikeouts; Rich Gossage put up 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Terry Forster | Rich Gossage |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 54 | 124 |
| Losses | 65 | 107 |
| Games | 614 | 1,002 |
| Games Started | 39 | 37 |
| Complete Games | 5 | 16 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 127 | 310 |
| Strikeouts | 791 | 1,502 |
| Walks | 457 | 732 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,034 | 1,497 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 51 | 119 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,105 | 1,809 |
| ERA | 3.23 | 3.01 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | 1.23 |
| K/9 | 6.44 | 7.47 |
| BB/9 | 3.72 | 3.64 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rich Gossage outpaces Terry Forster 28,157 to 17,266 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,224 vs 1,079 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).
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.