Joe Horlen
Encyclopedia
Joel Edward Horlen is a right-handed former Major League Baseball
pitcher
. Horlen pitched for the Chicago White Sox
from to , and the Oakland Athletics
in .
In his career, Horlen won 116 games against 117 losses, with a 3.11 earned run average
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).
He made his Major League debut against the Minnesota Twins
in the second game of a September 4, doubleheader
. 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 he earned a spot in the starting rotation, posting a 13–9 record and setting career bests in earned run average
(1.88; 2nd in the American League only to Dean Chance
's 1.65) and strikeout
s (138). He also led the majors by allowing only 6.07 hits per 9 innings, bettering Sandy Koufax
's National League
-leading 6.22. In the next 42 years, only 8 right-handed pitchers bettered that ratio in a season. He also led the AL in Walks + Hits per IP (WHIP) (.935).
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.
In 1965 he was 2nd in the league in shutouts (4), and was 3rd in walks/9 IP (1.60). In 1966 he led the league in wild pitches (14), was 6th in hit batsmen (6), and was 2nd in ERA (2.43).
Horlen’s best season was in ; he finished 19–7 and led American League pitchers with a 2.06 ERA and 6 shutout
s, was 2nd in W-L percentage (.731), 4th in wins, complete games (13), and walks/9 IP (2.02), and 7th in innings pitched (258). He also led the AL in Walks + Hits per IP (WHIP) (.953). He was named to the American League All-Star
team for the only time in his career, but did not pitch in the game. The highlight of Horlen’s season was a clutch performance on September 10 as the White Sox were involved in a four-way pennant race with the Twins, Boston Red Sox
, and Detroit Tigers
; he no-hit
the Tigers in the first game of a doubleheader at Comiskey Park
. Not until the Tigers' Jack Morris
no-hit the White Sox in would another no-hitter be pitched in a White Sox home game, and the next no-hitter by a White Sox in a White Sox home game wouldn't be pitched until , by Mark Buehrle
at U.S. Cellular Field
.
Horlen recorded victories in his next three starts, the next one coming five days later against the Twins. However, on September 27, which would be known by White Sox fans as “Black Wednesday,” the lowly Kansas City Athletics
swept a doubleheader from the White Sox and effectively eliminated Eddie Stanky
's "Hitless Wonders" (as the team was known because no regular batted
above .250) from pennant contention. Horlen lost the second game, with 21-year-old Catfish Hunter
shutting out
the White Sox 4–0. On an interesting note, the two games were the last played by the Athletics in Kansas City
; they would move to Oakland
for the start of the season. The White Sox finished fourth, three games behind the Red Sox who, after finishing next to last in , won the pennant on the final day, finishing one game ahead of the Twins and Tigers.
Horlen finished runner-up to Jim Lonborg
, the star of the Red Sox staff, in the American League Cy Young Award
balloting, and 4th in MVP voting.
In 1968 he led the AL in hit batsmen (14). In 1970 he was 5th in walks/9 IP (2.14).
In spring training
of , two weeks after voting unanimously in favor of a strike, the White Sox released Horlen, who had been the Sox’ player representative.
— the first in franchise history since 1930
.
of the Senior Professional Baseball Association
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. Horlen pitched for the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
from to , and the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
in .
In his career, Horlen won 116 games against 117 losses, with a 3.11 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
and 1,065 strikeouts in 2,002 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
.
He is the only baseball player to play for teams that won a Pony League World Series (1952), a College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
(Oklahoma State-1959), and a Major League World Series (Oakland-1972).
College
Horlen was a star pitcher at Oklahoma State University. He was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association All-America second team, as he helped lead Oklahoma State to the College World Series in 1959.Chicago White Sox (1961–71)
Horlen was signed by the Chicago White Sox in .He made his Major League debut against the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
in the second game of a September 4, doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
. He won the game in relief
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
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 he earned a spot in the starting rotation, posting a 13–9 record and setting career bests in earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(1.88; 2nd in the American League only to Dean Chance
Dean Chance
Wilmer Dean Chance is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. Over the right hander's 11-year major league career, he would play for the Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, and Detroit Tigers...
's 1.65) and strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s (138). He also led the majors by allowing only 6.07 hits per 9 innings, bettering Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
's National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
-leading 6.22. In the next 42 years, only 8 right-handed pitchers bettered that ratio in a season. He also led the AL in Walks + Hits per IP (WHIP) (.935).
That year his White Sox battled the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
and Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
for the pennant, but finished second, one game behind the Yankees and one game ahead of the Orioles.
In 1965 he was 2nd in the league in shutouts (4), and was 3rd in walks/9 IP (1.60). In 1966 he led the league in wild pitches (14), was 6th in hit batsmen (6), and was 2nd in ERA (2.43).
Horlen’s best season was in ; he finished 19–7 and led American League pitchers with a 2.06 ERA and 6 shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s, was 2nd in W-L percentage (.731), 4th in wins, complete games (13), and walks/9 IP (2.02), and 7th in innings pitched (258). He also led the AL in Walks + Hits per IP (WHIP) (.953). He was named to the American League All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
team for the only time in his career, but did not pitch in the game. The highlight of Horlen’s season was a clutch performance on September 10 as the White Sox were involved in a four-way pennant race with the Twins, Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, and Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
; he no-hit
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
the Tigers in the first game of a doubleheader at Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
. Not until the Tigers' Jack Morris
Jack Morris
John Scott "Jack" Morris is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played in 18 big league seasons between 1977 and 1994, mainly for the Detroit Tigers, and won 254 games throughout his career...
no-hit the White Sox in would another no-hitter be pitched in a White Sox home game, and the next no-hitter by a White Sox in a White Sox home game wouldn't be pitched until , by Mark Buehrle
Mark Buehrle
Mark Alan Buehrle is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He has pitched his entire baseball career for the Chicago White Sox, starting the opening game every season from 2002 to 2006 and again from 2008 to 2011....
at U.S. Cellular Field
U.S. Cellular Field
U.S. Cellular Field is a baseball ballpark in Chicago, Illinois. Owned by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, it is the home of the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball's American League. The park opened for the 1991 season, after the White Sox had spent 81 years at old Comiskey Park...
.
Horlen recorded victories in his next three starts, the next one coming five days later against the Twins. However, on September 27, which would be known by White Sox fans as “Black Wednesday,” the lowly Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
swept a doubleheader from the White Sox and effectively eliminated Eddie Stanky
Eddie Stanky
Edward Raymond Stanky , nicknamed "The Brat", was an American second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago Cubs , Brooklyn Dodgers , Boston Braves , New York Giants , and St. Louis Cardinals...
's "Hitless Wonders" (as the team was known because no regular batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
above .250) from pennant contention. Horlen lost the second game, with 21-year-old Catfish Hunter
Catfish Hunter
James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter , was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1965-1979 for both the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees...
shutting out
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
the White Sox 4–0. On an interesting note, the two games were the last played by the Athletics in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
; they would move to Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
for the start of the season. The White Sox finished fourth, three games behind the Red Sox who, after finishing next to last in , won the pennant on the final day, finishing one game ahead of the Twins and Tigers.
Horlen finished runner-up to Jim Lonborg
Jim Lonborg
James Reynold Lonborg is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played with the Boston Red Sox , Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies...
, the star of the Red Sox staff, in the American League Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
balloting, and 4th in MVP voting.
In 1968 he led the AL in hit batsmen (14). In 1970 he was 5th in walks/9 IP (2.14).
In spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
of , two weeks after voting unanimously in favor of a strike, the White Sox released Horlen, who had been the Sox’ player representative.
Oakland Athletics (1972)
He later signed with Oakland, and pitched mostly in relief as the Athletics won the World Series1972 World Series
The 1972 World Series matched the American League champion Oakland Athletics against the National League champion Cincinnati Reds, with the A's winning in seven games. These two teams would meet again in the fall classic eighteen years later...
— the first in franchise history since 1930
1930 World Series
In the 1930 World Series, the Philadelphia Athletics defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in six games, 4–2. Philadelphia's pitching ace Lefty Grove won two games.The St...
.
After the major leagues
In 1989, Horlen played for the St. Lucie LegendsSt. Lucie Legends
The St. Lucie Legends was a U.S. baseball team and one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989....
of the Senior Professional Baseball Association
Senior Professional Baseball Association
The Senior Professional Baseball Association was a winter baseball league based in Florida for players age 35 and over . The league began play in 1989 and had eight teams in two divisions and a 72 game schedule...
.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball ERA champions
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
- List of select Jewish baseball players