1962 Topps #479 Joel Horlen
About Joel Horlen
Chicago handed the 24-year-old a rotation job in 1962 after The Sporting News tabbed him the likely rookie pitcher of the year. He set the tone for his whole decade in the opening week, throwing a complete-game five-hitter against the Angels and losing it, his light-hitting club shut out behind him, then blanking the Twins on six hits in his next start. A torn muscle in his pitching shoulder cost him ten weeks in midsummer and he finished 7-6 with a 4.89 ERA in 20 games. His 1962 Topps card, #479 in the sixth series, is recognized as his rookie card; it is a regular number.
Joel Edward Horlen, born August 14, 1937 in San Antonio, Texas, pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1961 through 1971 and closed his career with the 1972 Oakland Athletics. Friends called him Joe. He starred at Oklahoma State, leading the Cowboys past Arizona for the 1959 College World Series title before signing with Chicago, and he is the rare ballplayer to win a Pony League World Series in 1952, a College World Series, and a big-league World Series. A slender right-hander who lived on a hard curve, a sinker and fine control rather than velocity, he anchored a White Sox staff that pitched brilliantly and scored almost nothing, which is how Hard Luck Horlen got his name. From 1964 through 1968 he led all American League pitchers with a combined 2.32 ERA. In 1967 he no-hit Detroit, won the ERA title, made his only All-Star team and finished second in the Cy Young voting. Released in the spring of 1972, he caught on with Oakland and earned a World Series ring in relief that fall. He retired at 116-117 with a 3.11 ERA and 1,065 strikeouts in 2,002 innings, and was later inducted into the Oklahoma State and San Antonio Sports halls of fame. He died in his hometown on April 10, 2022, at 84.
Sources: SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 268 | 0 | 7 | 110 | 98 | 34 | 11 | 8 | 0 |
| SGC | 21 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-09-24. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8), and PSA's qualified grades are counted separately from the straight-grade rows shown here. Slabs of the three cards printed #139 are joined by description, never by number alone. PSA registers the green tints as a separate set; a tint's population is listed under that state of the card it belongs to.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1962 Topps #479 card?
It is card #479 of the 600-card 1962 Topps Baseball set, picturing Joel Horlen of the Chicago White Sox.
Is 1962 Topps #479 a rookie card?
Yes - #479 is the 1962 Topps rookie card of Joel Horlen.
How many cards are in the 1962 Topps Baseball set?
600 cards, tracked as 708 collectible states. The numbers run from 1 to 598 with no gaps, but three different cards were printed #139 - two Hal Reniff poses, catalogued 139a and 139b, and the Babe Hits 60 Babe Ruth Special, 139c - so 598 numbers make 600 cards; 93 cards carry catalogued print variations, the series-2 green tints among them, that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Baseball Almanac, Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, BaseballCardPedia, The Topps Archives, Baseball-Reference, the SABR BioProject and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, PSA & SGC population reports. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-10-03.