Bob Friend vs Bob Gibson: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Gibson has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bob Friend played 1951–1966 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
Bob Friend (1951–1966) and Bob Gibson (1959–1975) — both debuted in the 1950s. Bob Friend finished with 197 wins and 1,734 strikeouts; Bob Gibson finished with 251 wins and 3,117 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Bob Gibson, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Bob Gibson, with 2.91 to Bob Friend's 3.58.
- Who won more games? Bob Gibson, with 251 to Bob Friend's 197.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Bob Friend's 1,734.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Bob Friend's 1.29.
- How many innings did each pitch? Bob Friend 3,611.0, Bob Gibson 3,884.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Gibson, with 56 to Bob Friend's 36.
Bob Friend
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Bob Friend | Bob Gibson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 197 | Leads: 251 |
| Losses not scored | 230 | 174 |
| Games not scored | 602 | 528 |
| Games Started not scored | 497 | 482 |
| Complete Games | 163 | Leads: 255 |
| Shutouts | 36 | Leads: 56 |
| Saves not scored | 11 | 6 |
| Strikeouts | 1,734 | Leads: 3,117 |
| Walks not scored | 894 | 1,336 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,772 | 3,279 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 286 | 257 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,611.0 | 3,884.1 |
| ERA | 3.58 | Leads: 2.91 |
| WHIP | 1.29 | Leads: 1.19 |
| K/9 | 4.32 | Leads: 7.22 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.23 | 3.10 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Gibson outpaces Bob Friend 69,720 to 45,735 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,101 PIV per season to 2,858, across 17 seasons to 16. 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).
Bob Friend — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bob Gibson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Bob Gibson leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Bob Friend leads 1: walks per nine. 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 Bob Friend and Bob Gibson careers compare
The careers of Bob Friend (1951–1966) and Bob Gibson (1959–1975) overlapped from 1959 to 1966, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 602 games for Bob Friend and 528 for Bob Gibson across 16 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Bob Friend are walks per nine (2.23 to 3.10). The per-nine rows read 4.32 strikeouts and 2.23 walks for Bob Friend, 7.22 and 3.10 for Bob Gibson. Both had the same role: Bob Friend was mainly a starter (497 starts in 602 games); Bob Gibson was mainly a starter (482 starts in 528 games).
Bob Friend vs Bob Gibson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Friend or Bob Gibson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Gibson leads Bob Friend in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Gibson, with 2.91 to Bob Friend's 3.58.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Gibson, with 251 to Bob Friend's 197.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Bob Friend's 1,734.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Bob Friend's 1.29.