Old Hoss Radbourn vs Al Spalding: Career Stats Comparison
Old Hoss Radbourn (1880–1891) and Al Spalding (1871–1878) — breaking in during the 1880s and the 1870s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Old Hoss Radbourn compiled 310 wins and 1,830 strikeouts; Al Spalding put up 251 wins and 248 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Old Hoss Radbourn
Al Spalding
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 | Old Hoss Radbourn | Al Spalding |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 310 | 251 |
| Losses | 194 | 65 |
| Games | 527 | 347 |
| Games Started | 502 | 325 |
| Complete Games | 488 | 279 |
| Shutouts | 35 | 24 |
| Saves | 2 | 13 |
| Strikeouts | 1,830 | 248 |
| Walks | 875 | 164 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,328 | 3,280 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 118 | 15 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,527 | 2,886 |
| ERA | 2.68 | 2.13 |
| WHIP | 1.15 | 1.19 |
| K/9 | 3.64 | 0.77 |
| BB/9 | 1.74 | 0.51 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Old Hoss Radbourn outpaces Al Spalding 21,218 to 8,952 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,929 vs 1,279 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).
Old Hoss Radbourn — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Al Spalding — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Old Hoss Radbourn leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Al Spalding owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Old Hoss Radbourn. PIV agrees: Old Hoss Radbourn grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.