Joe Charboneau, baseball player, 1980-1982

Joe Charboneau

Born: 6/17/1955 in Belvidere, IL, USA

MLB Debut: 1980-04-11 | Final Game: 1982-06-01

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 205 lbs

Full name: Joseph Charboneau

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Biography

Joe Charboneau, born in 1955, was a notable position player in Major League Baseball who played from 1980 until 1982. He made a significant impact in a brief career, appearing in 201 games and establishing himself as a fan favorite during a time when the game was transitioning into the more modern era of baseball. Charboneau was known for his energetic playing style and charismatic personality, which endeared him to fans and teammates alike. During his career, Charboneau recorded 172 hits, 29 home runs, and 114 RBIs, finishing with a batting average of .266. His performance earned him the prestigious Rookie of the Year award and the TSN Rookie Player of the Year accolade, highlighting his impressive debut in the league. While his playing time was limited, his contributions on the field and his larger-than-life persona left a lasting impression in the hearts of baseball enthusiasts, marking him as a memorable figure in the early 1980s MLB landscape.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
201 647 97 172 26 4 29 114 3 61 99 0.266 0.329 0.453 0.782 1256.4

Career AVG .266 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .329 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .453 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — +18.1% above league average.

Career OPS 0.782 vs. league average 0.707 across their career seasons — +10.6% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1980 CLE AL 131 453 76 131 17 2 23 87 2 49 70 0.289 .264 (+9%) .326 (+10%) .387 (+26%) .714 (+18%) 1639.5
1981 CLE AL 48 138 14 29 7 1 4 18 1 7 22 0.210 .255 (-18%) .320 (-23%) .368 (-2%) .688 (-12%) -323.2
1982 CLE AL 22 56 7 12 2 1 2 9 0 5 7 0.214 .261 (-18%) .324 (-12%) .388 (+1%) .712 (-5%) -60.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 112 105 197 7 8 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1980 CLE OF 67 64 125 6 5 1
1981 CLE OF 27 27 51 1 2 0
1982 CLE OF 18 14 21 0 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Left Field 99
Right Field 17
Designated Hitter 71

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1980 Player of the Week Week of 1980-08-29
1980 Player of the Week Week of 1980-07-25
1980 Rookie of the Year
1980 TSN Rookie Player of the Year

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
West Valley College Saratoga CA 1975, 1976

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1980 Rookie of the Year AL 1st 102.0 140 15