Bob Friend vs Billy Pierce: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Pierce 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; Billy Pierce played 1945–1964 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 Billy Pierce (1945–1964) — they debuted in the 1950s and the 1940s respectively and share 14 seasons. Bob Friend finished with 197 wins and 1,734 strikeouts; Billy Pierce finished with 211 wins and 1,999 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Billy Pierce, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Billy Pierce, with 3.27 to Bob Friend's 3.58.
- Who won more games? Billy Pierce, with 211 to Bob Friend's 197.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Billy Pierce, with 1,999 to Bob Friend's 1,734.
- Who had the better WHIP? Billy Pierce, with 1.26 to Bob Friend's 1.29.
- How many innings did each pitch? Bob Friend 3,611.0, Billy Pierce 3,306.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Billy Pierce, with 38 to Bob Friend's 36.
Bob Friend
Billy Pierce
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 | Billy Pierce |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 197 | Leads: 211 |
| Losses not scored | 230 | 169 |
| Games not scored | 602 | 585 |
| Games Started not scored | 497 | 432 |
| Complete Games | 163 | Leads: 193 |
| Shutouts | 36 | Leads: 38 |
| Saves not scored | 11 | 32 |
| Strikeouts | 1,734 | Leads: 1,999 |
| Walks not scored | 894 | 1,178 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,772 | 2,989 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 286 | 284 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,611.0 | 3,306.2 |
| ERA | 3.58 | Leads: 3.27 |
| WHIP | 1.29 | Leads: 1.26 |
| K/9 | 4.32 | Leads: 5.44 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.23 | 3.21 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Friend leads Billy Pierce 45,735 to 39,435 — driven by per-season impact — 2,858 PIV per season to 2,191 — rather than by longevity, since Bob Friend played 16 seasons to Billy Pierce's 18. 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)
Billy Pierce — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Billy Pierce 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 Billy Pierce. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Bob Friend higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bob Friend and Billy Pierce careers compare
The careers of Bob Friend (1951–1966) and Billy Pierce (1945–1964) overlapped from 1951 to 1964, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 602 games for Bob Friend and 585 for Billy Pierce across 16 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Bob Friend comes out ahead, it is in walks per nine (2.23 to 3.21). By rate, Bob Friend struck out 4.32 and walked 2.23 per nine innings; Billy Pierce struck out 5.44 and walked 3.21. Bob Friend was mainly a starter (497 starts in 602 games), and Billy Pierce was mainly a starter (432 starts in 585 games).
Bob Friend vs Billy Pierce: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Friend or Billy Pierce?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Pierce leads Bob Friend in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Billy Pierce, with 3.27 to Bob Friend's 3.58.
- Who won more games?
- Billy Pierce, with 211 to Bob Friend's 197.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Billy Pierce, with 1,999 to Bob Friend's 1,734.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Billy Pierce, with 1.26 to Bob Friend's 1.29.