:Joe Horlen
{{Short description|American baseball player (1937–2022)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Joe Horlen
|image=Joe Horlen White Sox.jpg
|position=Pitcher
|birth_date={{Birth date|1937|8|14}}
|birth_place=San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2022|4|10|1937|8|14}}
|death_place=San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=September 4
|debutyear=1961
|debutteam=Chicago White Sox
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=October 4
|finalyear=1972
|finalteam=Oakland Athletics
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=Win–loss record
|stat1value=116–117
|stat2label=Earned run average
|stat2value=3.11
|stat3label=Strikeouts
|stat3value=1,065
|teams=
- Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|1961}}–{{mlby|1971}})
- Oakland Athletics ({{mlby|1972}})
|highlights=
- All-Star (1967)
- World Series champion ({{wsy|1972}})
- AL ERA leader (1967)
- Pitched a no-hitter on September 10, 1967
}}
Joel Edward Horlen (August 14, 1937 – April 10, 2022) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1961 to 1972 for the Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics. In references, he is called Joe Horlen or Joel Horlen with roughly equal frequency.{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/google-books-ngram-counts |title=Internet Archive Ngram Viewer |access-date=May 1, 2015}}
From 1964 to 1968, Horlen led all American League pitchers with a 2.32 earned run average (ERA).{{Cite web|url=https://www.expressnews.com/sports/columnists/roy-bragg/article/MLB-great-Horlen-finally-recognized-10972650.php|title=The lost memories of Joe Horlen|first=Roy|last=Bragg|date=March 3, 2017|website=San Antonio Express-News}} In his career, Horlen won 116 games against 117 losses, with a 3.11 ERA and 1,065 strikeouts in 2,002 innings pitched.
He is the only baseball player to play for teams that won a Pony League World Series (1952), a College World Series (Oklahoma State, 1959), and a Major League World Series (Oakland, 1972).{{cite web|url=http://www.sanantoniosports.org/events/hof/04_inductees.asp |title=San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame - Inductees |access-date=August 17, 2013 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040103114605/http://www.sanantoniosports.org/events/hof/04_inductees.asp |archive-date=January 3, 2004 }}
Early life
Horlen was born in San Antonio, Texas.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/horlejo01.shtml|title=Joe Horlen Stats|website=Baseball-Reference.com}} He attended Luther Burbank High School, in San Antonio. Horlen attended high school contemporaneously with future major league pitcher Gary Bell, graduating one year later. Both he and Bell were inducted into the San Antonio Independent School District Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017.{{Cite web |title=Luther Burbank - The Baseball Cube |url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/draft_hs_school/995/ |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=www.thebaseballcube.com}}{{Cite web |title=San Antonio ISD |url=https://www.saisd.net/page/news-hof |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=www.saisd.net}}
Horlen attended Oklahoma State University and played college baseball for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association All-America second team, and first-team All-Big Eight, as he helped lead Oklahoma State to victory in the 1959 College World Series.{{Cite web |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/joe-horlen/ |title=Joe Horlen |first1=Gregory H. |last1=Wolf |website=sabr.org |publisher=Society for American Baseball Research |access-date=April 14, 2022}} He was named to the All-Tournament Team, with a 2-0 record (pitching two complete games), 1.99 ERA, and tournament leading 18 strikeouts. In his two years on the team, he was 15-4, with a 2.26 ERA, and 128 strikeouts in 143 1/3 innings. In 1993, he was inducted into the Cowboys Baseball Hall of Fame.{{Cite web |title=Cowboy Baseball Hall Of Famer Horlen Passes Away |url=https://okstate.com/news/2022/4/11/cowboy-baseball-hall-of-famer-horlen-passes-away |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=Oklahoma State University Athletics |language=en}}
Minor league career
Horlen was signed by the Chicago White Sox in 1959. That year he pitched for the Lincoln Chiefs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=horlen001joe|title=Joe Horlen Minor Leagues Statistics & History|website=Baseball-Reference.com}} The next season he pitched in Single-A for the Charleston White Sox, and had a 7–5 win–loss record with a 2.93 earned run average (ERA). He began 1961 pitching for the Triple-A San Diego Padres, for whom he was 12–9 with a 2.51 ERA.
Major league career
=Chicago White Sox (1961–1971)=
Horlen made his Major League debut against the Minnesota Twins in the second game of a September 4, 1961 doubleheader.{{Cite web |title=Chicago White Sox vs Minnesota Twins Box Score: September 4, 1961 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIN/MIN196109042.shtml |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} He won the game in relief while wearing a numberless uniform, as the only available road uniform did not have a number. Horlen pitched as a spot starter in his first two full seasons with the White Sox. In 1963, he returned to the minors to pitch four games for the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, going 3–0 with a 1.74 ERA.
In 1964, he earned a spot in the starting rotation, posting a 13–9 record and setting career bests in ERA (1.88; second in the American League only to Dean Chance's 1.65) and strikeouts (138). He also led the majors by allowing only 6.07 hits per nine innings, bettering Sandy Koufax's National League-leading 6.22.{{Cite web |title=1964 Major League Baseball Pitching Leaders |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/1964-pitching-leaders.shtml |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} In the next 42 years, only eight right-handed pitchers bettered that ratio in a season. He also led the AL in Walks + Hits per IP (WHIP) (.935), just .007 behind Koufax. That year his White Sox battled the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles for the pennant, but finished second, one game behind the Yankees and one game ahead of the Orioles.{{Cite web |title=1964 American League Standings & Expanded Standings |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1964-standings.shtml |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} Three of the top 10 ERA pitchers in the American League were White Sox (Horlen, Gary Peters, and Juan Pizarro),{{Cite web |title=1964 American League Pitching Leaders |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1964-pitching-leaders.shtml |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} but the team batting average was .247, with only 106 home runs.{{Cite web |title=1964 Chicago White Sox Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHW/1964.shtml |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}
In 1965, Horlen was second in the league in shutouts (four), and was third in walks/9 IP (1.60), with a 2.88 ERA.{{Cite web |title=1965 Major League Baseball Pitching Leaders |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/1965-pitching-leaders.shtml |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} In 1966, he led the league in wild pitches (14), was sixth in hit batsmen (six), and was second in ERA (2.43) behind teammate Gary Peters.{{Cite web |title=1966 Major League Baseball Pitching Leaders |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/1966-pitching-leaders.shtml |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}
Horlen finished the 1967 season with a 19–7 record and led American League pitchers with a 2.06 ERA and six shutouts, was second in W-L percentage (.731), fourth in wins, complete games (13), and walks/9 IP (2.02), and 7th in innings pitched (258). He also led the AL in walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) (.953).{{Cite web |title=1967 American League Pitching Leaders |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1967-pitching-leaders.shtml |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} He was named to the American League All-Star team for the only time in his career, but did not pitch in the game.{{Cite web |title=1967 All-Star Game Box Score, July 11 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/allstar/1967-allstar-game.shtml |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}
On September 10, Horlen threw a no-hitter as the White Sox were involved in a four-way pennant race with the Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Detroit Tigers.{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/white-sox/every-white-sox-no-hitter-franchise-history-including-carlos-rodon |title=Every White Sox no-hitter in franchise history, including Carlos Rodón | RSN |publisher=Nbcsports.com |date= April 15, 2021|accessdate=April 14, 2022}} The only Detroit player to reach base was Bill Freehan, who was hit by a Horlen pitch.{{Cite web |title=Detroit Tigers vs Chicago White Sox Box Score: September 10, 1967 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA196709101.shtml |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} Horlen recorded victories in his next three starts, including one five days later against the Twins. However, on September 27, which would be known by fans as "Black Wednesday",{{Cite web |last=Liptak |first=Mark |date=2023-09-27 |title=Today in White Sox History: September 27 |url=https://www.southsidesox.com/2023/9/27/23891909/today-in-chicago-white-sox-history-september-27 |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=South Side Sox |language=en}} the lowly Kansas City Athletics swept a doubleheader from the White Sox and effectively eliminated Eddie Stanky's "Hitless Wonders" (the White Sox led the Majors with a 2.45 earned run average but also posted a .225 batting average, with no regular batting above .250{{Cite web |title=1967 Chicago White Sox Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHW/1967.shtml |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}) from pennant contention. {{Cite web |last=Knosby |first=Thomas |title=September 27, 1967: A’s take first game of doubleheader on their last day in Kansas City |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/september-27-1967-as-take-first-game-of-doubleheader-on-their-last-day-in-kansas-city/ |website=SABR.org}}
Horlen lost the second game, as 21-year-old Catfish Hunter shut out the White Sox 4–0.{{Cite web |title=Chicago White Sox vs Kansas City Athletics Box Score: September 27, 1967 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/KC1/KC1196709272.shtml |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} The two games were the last played by the Athletics in Kansas City before the team moved to Oakland for the start of the 1968 season.{{Cite web |last=Knosby |first=Thomas |title=September 27, 1967: Catfish Hunter shuts out White Sox in A’s final home game in Kansas City |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/september-27-1967-catfish-hunter-shuts-out-white-sox-in-as-final-home-game-in-kansas-city/ |website=SABR.org}} The White Sox finished fourth, three games behind the Red Sox who,{{Cite web |title=1967 American League Standings & Expanded Standings |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1967-standings.shtml |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} after finishing next to last in 1966,{{Cite web |title=1966 American League Standings & Expanded Standings |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1966-standings.shtml |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} won the pennant on the final day, finishing one game ahead of the Twins and Tigers.{{Cite web |last=Armour |first=Mark |title=October 1, 1967: Tigers drop season finale to give Red Sox the AL pennant |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/october-1-1967-tigers-drop-season-finale-to-give-red-sox-the-al-pennant/ |website=SABR.org}} Horlen finished runner-up to Jim Lonborg, the star of the Red Sox staff, in the American League Cy Young Award balloting, and fourth in MVP voting, won by Boston's Carl Yastrzemski.{{Cite web |title=1967 Awards Voting |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1967.shtml |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}
In 1968 Horlen led the AL in hit batsmen (14). In 1970 he was fifth in walks/9 IP (2.14). In 1971, he had knee surgery early in the season.{{Cite news |date=April 6, 1971 |title=Horlen Is Sidelined |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/04/06/archives/horlen-is-sidelined.html |work=New York Times}} In spring training of 1972, the White Sox released Horlen.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/611600066/?terms=%22joe%20horlen%22&match=1 |title=31 Mar 1972, 10 - Portage Daily Register at |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=March 31, 1972 |accessdate=April 14, 2022}}
=Oakland Athletics (1972)=
Horlen later signed with Oakland, and pitched mostly in relief as the Athletics won the 1972 World Series.
After the major leagues
In 1973 he pitched for the AA San Antonio Brewers, going 6–1 with a 2.87 ERA. In 1989, Horlen played for the St. Lucie Legends of the Senior Professional Baseball Association.{{cn|date=December 2024}} In 2004, he was inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame.
In 1981, Horlen was a convert to Judaism, when he married Lois Eisenstein.{{cite web |date=August 14, 1937 |title=Horlen, Joe |url=http://www.jewsinsports.org/profile.asp?sport=baseball&ID=143 |access-date=January 22, 2011 |publisher=Jewsinsports.org}}The Big Book of Jewish Sports People, by Peter Horvitz, page 53{{Cite book |last1=Horvitz |first1=Peter S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ZzxydPInwgC&dq=joe+horlen+converted&pg=PA88 |title=The Big Book of Jewish Baseball |last2=Horvitz |first2=Joachim |date=April 14, 2001 |publisher=SP Books |isbn=9781561719730 |via=Google Books}}
In 2017, it was announced that he had Alzheimer's disease. He died on April 10, 2022, at the age of 84.{{Cite web|url=https://okstate.com/news/2022/4/11/cowboy-baseball-hall-of-famer-horlen-passes-away.aspx|title=Cowboy Baseball Hall Of Famer Horlen Passes Away|website=Oklahoma State University Athletics}}[https://www.porterloring.com/obituaries/Joel-Edward-Horlen?obId=24567734 Joel Edward Horlen]
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{baseballstats |mlb=116151 |espn= |br=h/horlejo01 |fangraphs=1006025 |brm=horlen001joe |retro=H/Phorlj101}}
- [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1967/B09101CHA1967.htm Boxscore of Horlen's 1967 no-hitter]
- [http://dc.library.okstate.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/ostate/id/7699/rec/1 Oral History Interview with Joel Horlen], Oklahoma Oral History Research Program at the OSU Library
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{{succession box |title=No-hitter pitcher | before=Dean Chance |years=September 10, 1967 |after=Tom Phoebus}}
{{s-end}}
{{1959 Oklahoma State Cowboys baseball}}
{{Chicago White Sox Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{1972 Oakland Athletics}}
{{AL ERA champions}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Horlen, Joe}}
Category:American League All-Stars
Category:American League ERA champions
Category:Baseball players from San Antonio
Category:Charleston White Sox players
Category:Chicago White Sox players
Category:Indianapolis Indians players
Category:Jewish American baseball players
Category:Lincoln Chiefs players
Category:Major League Baseball pitchers
Category:Oakland Athletics players
Category:Oklahoma State Cowboys baseball players
Category:San Antonio Brewers players
Category:San Diego Padres (minor league) players
Category:St. Lucie Legends players