Joe Hoerner
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1963-1977)
Joe Hoerner was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1977 for 7 teams, including the Houston Astros, a span of 15 seasons. Across 493 career appearances, he went 39-34 with a 2.99 ERA, 412 strikeouts, and 99 saves. Joe Hoerner was an All-Star. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 4002.5.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 200 lb
- Died
- 10/4/1996 in Hermann, MO, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1963-09-27
- Last Game
- 1977-08-05
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: Joseph Walter Hoerner
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | HOU | NL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | — | 0.0 |
| 1964 | HOU | NL | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4.91 | 3.58 (-37%) | -956.7 |
| 1966 | SLN | NL | 5 | 1 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 76.0 | 57 | 13 | 21 | 63 | 1.54 | 3.52 (+56%) | 1508.6 |
| 1967 | SLN | NL | 4 | 4 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 66.0 | 52 | 19 | 20 | 50 | 2.59 | 3.30 (+22%) | 568.9 |
| 1968 | SLN | NL | 8 | 2 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 48.2 | 34 | 8 | 12 | 42 | 1.48 | 2.98 (+50%) | 1289.0 |
| 1969 | SLN | NL | 2 | 3 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 53.1 | 44 | 17 | 9 | 35 | 2.87 | 3.61 (+21%) | 856.6 |
| 1970 | PHI | NL | 9 | 5 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 57.2 | 53 | 17 | 20 | 39 | 2.65 | 3.89 (+32%) | 554.9 |
| 1971 | PHI | NL | 4 | 5 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 73.0 | 57 | 16 | 21 | 57 | 1.97 | 3.47 (+43%) | 1123.7 |
| 1972 | PHI | NL | 0 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 21.2 | 21 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 2.08 | 3.26 (+36%) | -31.5 |
| 1972 | ATL | NL | 1 | 3 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23.1 | 34 | 17 | 8 | 19 | 6.56 | 3.26 (-101%) | -520.4 |
| 1973 | ATL | NL | 2 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12.2 | 17 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 6.39 | 3.75 (-71%) | 249.4 |
| 1973 | KCA | AL | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 19.1 | 28 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 5.12 | 3.75 (-37%) | 346.9 |
| 1974 | KCA | AL | 2 | 3 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 35.1 | 32 | 15 | 12 | 24 | 3.82 | 3.63 (-5%) | -48.3 |
| 1975 | PHI | NL | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21.0 | 25 | 6 | 8 | 20 | 2.57 | 3.71 (+31%) | -60.1 |
| 1976 | TEX | AL | 0 | 4 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 35.0 | 41 | 20 | 19 | 15 | 5.14 | 3.51 (-46%) | -878.6 |
| 1977 | CIN | NL | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.2 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 12.71 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 16 seasons | 39 | 34 | 493 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 99 | 562.2 | 519 | 187 | 181 | 412 | 2.99 | — | 4,003 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 493 | 59 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 32 | .102 | .131 | .169 | .301 | 0 |
Career AVG .102 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — 59.5% below league average.
Career OBP .131 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — 58.7% below league average.
Career SLG .169 vs. league average .371 across their career seasons — 54.3% below league average.
Career OPS .301 vs. league average .688 across their career seasons — 56.3% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | HOU | NL | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1964 | HOU | NL | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1966 | SLN | NL | 57 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .125 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1967 | SLN | NL | 57 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .182 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1968 | SLN | NL | 47 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1969 | SLN | NL | 45 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1970 | PHI | NL | 44 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1971 | PHI | NL | 49 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .100 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1972 | PHI | NL | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1972 | ATL | NL | 25 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1973 | ATL | NL | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1973 | KCA | AL | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1974 | KCA | AL | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1975 | PHI | NL | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1976 | TEX | AL | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1977 | CIN | NL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 16 seasons | 493 | 59 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 32 | .102 | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (986 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 258 | 28 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .107 |
| Away | 235 | 31 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | .097 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 258 | 299.1 | 264 | 102 | 88 | 229 | 3.07 |
| Away | 235 | 263.2 | 255 | 85 | 93 | 183 | 2.90 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-08-05 | CIN | PIT | — | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977-08-01 | CIN | CHC | — | 0.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-07-28 | CIN | CHC | — | 0.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977-07-25 | CIN | STL | — | 0.2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1977-07-12 | CIN | ATL | — | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-06-27 | CIN | SFG | — | 0.1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1977-06-26 | CIN | LAD | — | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977-06-22 | CIN | PHI | — | 0.2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 1976-09-21 | TEX | LAA | L | 1.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1976-09-16 | TEX | CHW | SV | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | HOU | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964 | HOU | P | 7 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1966 | SLN | P | 57 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| 1967 | SLN | P | 57 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968 | SLN | P | 47 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 1969 | SLN | P | 45 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| 1970 | PHI | P | 44 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971 | PHI | P | 49 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| 1972 | PHI | P | 15 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1972 | ATL | P | 25 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973 | ATL | P | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973 | KCA | P | 22 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974 | KCA | P | 30 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | PHI | P | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | TEX | P | 41 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977 | CIN | P | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 493 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Joe Hoerner (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Joe Hoerner: the record in brief
September 27, 1963 and August 5, 1977 bracket Joe Hoerner's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The team column moves through the Houston Colt .45's (1963 through 1964), the St. Louis Cardinals (1966 through 1969), the Philadelphia Phillies (1970 to 1975), the Atlanta Braves (1972 through 1973), the Kansas City Royals (1973 to 1974), the Texas Rangers (1976), and the Cincinnati Reds (1977). Hoerner played primarily as a pitcher and hit right-handed while throwing left-handed. Born on November 12, 1936, in Dubuque, IA, USA, Hoerner was listed at 6 feet, 1 inch and 200 pounds. The bio records the death on October 4, 1996, in Hermann, MO, USA. The given name on file is Joseph Walter Hoerner.
Hoerner pitched in 493 games, starting 0, and finished with a 39-34 record and 2.99 ERA. The totals include 412 strikeouts and 99 saves. That 2.99 ERA compares with a 3.56 league average across the same seasons, 16.0% better. The best win total was 9, in 1970.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Hoerner
- What years did Joe Hoerner play?
- Joe Hoerner played in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1977.
- Was Joe Hoerner a pitcher?
- Yes. Joe Hoerner pitched in the major leagues, recording 39 wins and 412 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Joe Hoerner hit?
- Joe Hoerner hit 1 career home runs with 6 hits.
- What was Joe Hoerner's career batting average?
- Joe Hoerner batted .102 over his career, with 6 hits in 59 at bats.
- How many RBI did Joe Hoerner have?
- Joe Hoerner drove in 3 runs in his career.
- What was Joe Hoerner's career ERA?
- Joe Hoerner finished with a 2.99 career ERA, going 39-34 with 412 strikeouts.