Bob Friend vs Bob Rush: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Friend 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 Rush played 1948–1960 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 Rush (1948–1960) — they debuted in the 1950s and the 1940s respectively and share 10 seasons. Bob Friend finished with 197 wins and 1,734 strikeouts; Bob Rush finished with 127 wins and 1,244 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Bob Friend, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Bob Friend, with 3.58 to Bob Rush's 3.65.
- Who won more games? Bob Friend, with 197 to Bob Rush's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Friend, with 1,734 to Bob Rush's 1,244.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.29.
- How many innings did each pitch? Bob Friend 3,611.0, Bob Rush 2,410.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Friend, with 36 to Bob Rush's 16.
Bob Friend
Bob Rush
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 Rush |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 197 | 127 |
| Losses not scored | 230 | 152 |
| Games not scored | 602 | 417 |
| Games Started not scored | 497 | 321 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 163 | 118 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 36 | 16 |
| Saves not scored | 11 | 8 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,734 | 1,244 |
| Walks not scored | 894 | 789 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,772 | 2,327 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 286 | 177 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,611.0 | 2,410.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.58 | 3.65 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.29 | 1.29 |
| K/9 | 4.32 | Leads: 4.64 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.23 | 2.95 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Friend leads Bob Rush 45,735 to 35,739 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,858 PIV per season to 2,749, across 16 seasons to 13. 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 Rush — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Bob Friend leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Bob Rush leads 1: strikeouts per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bob Friend. PIV agrees: Bob Friend 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 Rush careers compare
Bob Friend and Bob Rush were active at the same time between 1951 and 1960. The two careers are close in length, 602 games for Bob Friend and 417 for Bob Rush across 16 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Bob Rush comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (4.64 to 4.32). The per-nine rows read 4.32 strikeouts and 2.23 walks for Bob Friend, 4.64 and 2.95 for Bob Rush. Bob Friend was mainly a starter (497 starts in 602 games), and Bob Rush was mainly a starter (321 starts in 417 games). In WHIP, Bob Friend's 1.29 beats Bob Rush's 1.29.
Bob Friend vs Bob Rush: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Friend or Bob Rush?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Friend leads Bob Rush in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Friend, with 3.58 to Bob Rush's 3.65.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Friend, with 197 to Bob Rush's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Friend, with 1,734 to Bob Rush's 1,244.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.29.