Gene Garber vs Gary Lavelle: Career Stats Comparison
Gene Garber (1969–1988) and Gary Lavelle (1974–1987) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Gene Garber compiled 96 wins and 940 strikeouts; Gary Lavelle put up 80 wins and 769 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Gene Garber
Gary Lavelle
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 | Gene Garber | Gary Lavelle |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 96 | 80 |
| Losses | 113 | 77 |
| Games | 931 | 745 |
| Games Started | 9 | 3 |
| Complete Games | 4 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 218 | 136 |
| Strikeouts | 940 | 769 |
| Walks | 445 | 440 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,464 | 1,004 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 123 | 51 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,510 | 1,085 |
| ERA | 3.34 | 2.93 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | 1.33 |
| K/9 | 5.60 | 6.38 |
| BB/9 | 2.65 | 3.65 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gary Lavelle leads Gene Garber 18,454 to 15,978 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,318 vs 726 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).
Gene Garber — top 1 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Gary Lavelle — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gene Garber leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Gary Lavelle owns ERA and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Gene Garber. Note that PIV actually grades Gary Lavelle ahead, which means Gene Garber's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.