Tim Keefe vs Bobby Mathews: Career Stats Comparison
Tim Keefe (1880–1893) and Bobby Mathews (1871–1887) — breaking in during the 1880s and the 1870s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tim Keefe compiled 342 wins and 2,564 strikeouts; Bobby Mathews put up 297 wins and 1,528 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Tim Keefe
Bobby Mathews
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 | Tim Keefe | Bobby Mathews |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 342 | 297 |
| Losses | 225 | 248 |
| Games | 600 | 578 |
| Games Started | 594 | 568 |
| Complete Games | 554 | 525 |
| Shutouts | 39 | 20 |
| Saves | 2 | 3 |
| Strikeouts | 2,564 | 1,528 |
| Walks | 1,233 | 532 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,438 | 5,601 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 75 | 70 |
| Innings Pitched | 5,049 | 4,956 |
| ERA | 2.63 | 2.86 |
| WHIP | 1.12 | 1.24 |
| K/9 | 4.57 | 2.77 |
| BB/9 | 2.20 | 0.97 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tim Keefe outpaces Bobby Mathews 58,200 to 25,039 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,880 vs 1,565 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).
Tim Keefe — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bobby Mathews — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tim Keefe leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Bobby Mathews owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tim Keefe. PIV agrees: Tim Keefe grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.