Joseph Walter Hoerner (November 12, 1936 – October 4, 1996) was an American professional baseball relief pitcher, who played 14 years in Major League Baseball (MLB), for seven different teams. A native of Dubuque, Iowa he grew up in nearby Key West and attended Dubuque High School. Hoerner was used exclusively in relief during his 14-year big league career. He appeared in 493 games, and during his first six full seasons (1966–1971) had one of the lowest combined ERAs among all major league relief pitchers (2.16). Hoerner died in a farming accident at the age of 59 in Hermann, Missouri.