Rich Gossage vs Tom Henke: Career Stats Comparison
Rich Gossage (1972–1994) and Tom Henke (1982–1995) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Rich Gossage compiled 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts; Tom Henke put up 41 wins and 861 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Rich Gossage | Tom Henke |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 124 | 41 |
| Losses | 107 | 42 |
| Games | 1,002 | 642 |
| Games Started | 37 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 16 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 310 | 311 |
| Strikeouts | 1,502 | 861 |
| Walks | 732 | 255 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,497 | 607 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 119 | 64 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,809 | 789 |
| ERA | 3.01 | 2.67 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | 1.09 |
| K/9 | 7.47 | 9.81 |
| BB/9 | 3.64 | 2.91 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rich Gossage leads Tom Henke 28,157 to 25,520 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,224 vs 1,823 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).
Rich Gossage — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Tom Henke — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rich Gossage leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Tom Henke owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rich Gossage. PIV agrees: Rich Gossage grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.