no. 166 - joe hoerner

Who is the man: Joe Hoerner had completed his first season with the Phillies when this card was released. The former Cardinals relief ace pitched in 44 games for Philadelphia.

Can ya dig it: Hoerner looks like he's wearing lip gloss in this photo.

Right on: Nice view of the Dodger Stadium grandstand in the background.

You see this cat Hoerner is a bad mother: Hoerner was thrown out of the final game he ever pitched. In 1977 while with the Reds, he hit the Pirates' Frank Taveras with a pitch. Taveras charged the mound, Hoerner punched Taveras in the face, a brawl broke out, and Hoerner was booted from the game.

Shut your mouth: Hoerner suffered heart-related problems while he was pitching early in his career when he was in the minor leagues. During one game, he collapsed on the mound and was administered last rites. Doctors guessed his problems had to do with injuries suffered in a previous car accident and artery constriction when he threw. Hoerner experimented with throwing sidearm and it was effective enough that he threw sidearm the rest of his career.

No one understands him but his woman: Hoerner was a pretty wild guy. Not only was he involved in the auto accident, but he was in a boating accident that killed two people after his career. (He also suffered a severed tendon in his finger when a champagne bottle exploded in his hand while celebrating the Cardinals World Series title in 1967). He was a known prankster, once taking over the team bus.

(A word about the back): Floating head! It's been 42 cards since the last floating head.