1963 Topps #332 Joel Horlen


About Joel Horlen
Horlen beat the Angels in his first start of 1963, then lost the strike zone, and after getting one out and surrendering three hits in the first inning against that same club in May he lost his rotation spot. Optioned to Indianapolis in July to rebuild his curve, he returned to beat Detroit, then four days later carried a no-hitter and a 1-0 lead into the ninth at Washington before Chuck Hinton singled with one out and Don Lock ended it with a two-run homer. Four straight wins closed the year at 11-7, 3.27. His 1963 Topps card is #332 in the fourth series.
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 | 211 | 0 | 13 | 110 | 61 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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.
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Related cards
Team card: #288 Chicago White Sox
More Chicago White Sox cards:
- #2 1962 American League Batting Leaders
- #6 1962 American League E.R.A. Leaders
- #8 1962 American League Pitching Leaders
- #10 1962 American League Strikeout Leaders
- #16 Al Smith
- #35 John Buzhardt
- #54 1963 Rookie Stars
- #66 Mike Joyce
- #86 Charley Maxwell
- #100 Joe Cunningham
- #118 Sherm Lollar
- #160 Juan Pizarro
- #181 Sammy Esposito
- #223 Eddie Fisher
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1963 Topps #332 card?
It is card #332 of the 576-card 1963 Topps Baseball set, picturing Joel Horlen of the Chicago White Sox.
How many cards are in the 1963 Topps Baseball set?
576 cards, tracked as 583 collectible states. The numbers run from 1 to 576 with no gaps and no number used twice, and seven cards carry a catalogued print variation - three checklists, the two Rookie Stars cards also printed with a "1962" heading, and the #341 Jack Baldschun and #454 Art Fowler print states - that the master set counts separately.
Sources: 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.