Walter Ball vs. Ted Wilks — Career Comparison

Walter Ball
Pre-GenerationalMichiganThrows RightBats RightNorth AmericaChicago GiantsNegro National LeagueStarting Pitcher
Ted Wilks
Greatest GenerationNew YorkThrows RightBats RightNorth AmericaSt. Louis CardinalsNational LeagueRelief Pitcher

Walter Ball built a career as a starting pitcher and Ted Wilks as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Walter Ball posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 2.65 and WHIP 1.220 compared to 3.26 and 1.221 for Ted Wilks. By the career numbers, Walter Ball had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.

Pitching Stats for Walter Ball and Ted Wilks

Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
13
13
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
10
10
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
78
1.32
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
385
3.8
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
57
0.97
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
44
0.43
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
32
0.54
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
59
0.58
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
27
0.46
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
30
0.3
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
54.24
54.24
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
66.29
66.29
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
73.08
73.08
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
11.43
11.43
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
49
0.83
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
22
0.22
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
5
0.08
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
5
0.05
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
2
0.03
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
46
0.45
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
156
2.65
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
331
3.26
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
2.65
2.65
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
3.26
3.26
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
2.93
2.93
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
3.21
3.21
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
3.08
3.08
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
4.17
4.17
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.261
0.261
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.24
0.24
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
1591
27
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
2739
27
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
530.1
9
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
913
9
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
525
8.91
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
832
8.2
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
8.91
8.91
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
8.2
8.2
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
10
0.17
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
76
0.75
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.17
0.17
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.75
0.75
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.13
0.13
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.2
0.2
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
122
2.07
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
283
2.79
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
2.07
2.07
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
2.79
2.79
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
248
4.21
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
403
3.97
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
4.21
4.21
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
3.97
3.97
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
3.18
3.18
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
1.05
1.05
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.698
0.698
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.751
0.751
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0
0
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
8
0.08
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
15
0.25
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
11
0.11
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0
0
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
1
0.01
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
2211
37.52
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
3765
37.11
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
6
0.1
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
191
1.88
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
231
3.92
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
364
3.59
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
3.92
3.92
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
3.59
3.59
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
60
1.02
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0
0
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
42
0.71
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
1.22
1.22
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
1.221
1.221
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
2014
34.18
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
3471
34.22
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
2.96
2.96
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.95
0.95
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.293
0.293
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.253
0.253
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
37.52
37.52
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
37.11
37.11

Fielding Stats for Walter Ball and Ted Wilks

Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
13
13
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
10
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
116
1.32
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
385
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
32
0.37
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
2364
27
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
788
9
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
50
0.57
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
30
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
147
1.68
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
120
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
11
0.13
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
8
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
208
2.38
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
158
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
197
2.25
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
150
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
94.71
94.71
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
94.94
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
1.698
1.698
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.39
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
27.59
27.59
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
7
0.08
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
11
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Walter Ball
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 9 Innings
0

Hitting Stats for Walter Ball and Ted Wilks

Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
13
13
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
10
10
Walter Ball
Career
Per 600 PA
116
201.16
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
385
982.98
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
346
600
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
235
600
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
321
556.65
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
206
525.96
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.259
0.259
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0.131
0.131
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.625
0.625
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0.4
0.4
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
83
143.93
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
27
68.94
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
72
124.86
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
24
61.28
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
6
10.4
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
3
7.66
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
4
6.94
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
1
1.73
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
11
19.08
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
3
7.66
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.133
0.133
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0.111
0.111
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.003
0.003
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.012
0.012
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
29.41
50.99
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
5.99
15.3
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
100
173.41
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
30
76.6
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
98
169.94
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
43
109.79
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.292
0.292
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0.194
0.194
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.312
0.312
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0.146
0.146
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.603
0.603
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0.339
0.339
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.053
0.053
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0.015
0.015
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.209
0.209
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0.124
0.124
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.487
0.487
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0.256
0.256
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.256
0.256
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0.184
0.184
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
35
60.69
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
15
38.3
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
35
60.69
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
13
33.19
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
69
119.65
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
28
71.49
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
35.55
61.64
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
3.03
7.75
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
2
3.47
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Career
Per 600 PA
13
22.54
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
16
40.85
Walter Ball
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0
0
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
59
150.64
Walter Ball
Career
Per 600 PA
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
3.98
3.98
Walter Ball
Career
Per 600 PA
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.27
0.27
Walter Ball
Career
Per 600 PA
10
17.34
Ted Wilks
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
13
33.19
Walter Ball
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0
0
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
1
2.55
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
1
1.73
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
1
1.73
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Walter Ball
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
100
100
Ted Wilks
Career
Per 600 PA