Rich Gossage vs Tom Henke: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Henke has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 6 scored categories on this page (10 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Rich Gossage played 1972–1994 as a pitcher; Tom Henke played 1982–1995 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
Rich Gossage (1972–1994) and Tom Henke (1982–1995) — they debuted in the 1970s and the 1980s respectively and share 13 seasons. Rich Gossage finished with 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts; Tom Henke finished with 41 wins and 861 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Tom Henke, in 5 of the 6 scored categories.
- Who had more saves? Tom Henke, with 311 to Rich Gossage's 310.
- Who had the better ERA? Tom Henke, with 2.67 to Rich Gossage's 3.01.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Tom Henke's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tom Henke, with 1.09 to Rich Gossage's 1.23.
- Who struck out more batters per nine innings? Tom Henke, with 9.81 to Rich Gossage's 7.47.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rich Gossage, with 28,157 career Pitcher PIV to Tom Henke's 25,520.
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. Lower ERA, WHIP and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads. 6 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 10 are shown but not scored. Both worked mainly in relief, so saves and strikeouts are scored and wins, complete games and shutouts are not. 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 | Rich Gossage | Tom Henke |
|---|---|---|
| Wins not scored | 124 | 41 |
| Losses not scored | 107 | 42 |
| Games not scored | 1,002 | 642 |
| Games Started not scored | 37 | 0 |
| Complete Games not scored | 16 | 0 |
| Shutouts not scored | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 310 | Leads: 311 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,502 | 861 |
| Walks not scored | 732 | 255 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,497 | 607 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 119 | 64 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 1,809.1 | 789.2 |
| ERA | 3.01 | Leads: 2.67 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.09 |
| K/9 | 7.47 | Leads: 9.81 |
| BB/9 | 3.64 | Leads: 2.91 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rich Gossage leads Tom Henke 28,157 to 25,520 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Rich Gossage played 22 seasons to Tom Henke's 14, while Tom Henke carries the higher per-season figure (1,823 to 1,280). 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 (40+ innings).
Rich Gossage — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Tom Henke — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Tom Henke leads 5 of the 6 scored categories on the head-to-head card: saves, ERA, WHIP, strikeouts per nine, and others. Rich Gossage leads 1: strikeouts. Both are scored as relievers. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tom Henke. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Rich Gossage higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rich Gossage and Tom Henke careers compare
The careers of Rich Gossage (1972–1994) and Tom Henke (1982–1995) overlapped from 1982 to 1994, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Rich Gossage has the far longer record, 1,002 games against 642 across 22 and 14 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Rich Gossage are strikeouts (1,502 to 861). The per-nine rows read 7.47 strikeouts and 3.64 walks for Rich Gossage, 9.81 and 2.91 for Tom Henke. Both had the same role: Rich Gossage worked mostly in relief (37 starts in 1,002 games, 310 saves); Tom Henke worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 642 games, 311 saves).
Rich Gossage vs Tom Henke: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rich Gossage or Tom Henke?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Henke leads Rich Gossage in 5 of the 6 scored categories.
- Who had more saves?
- Tom Henke, with 311 to Rich Gossage's 310.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tom Henke, with 2.67 to Rich Gossage's 3.01.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Tom Henke's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tom Henke, with 1.09 to Rich Gossage's 1.23.