Joe Charboneau Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com

Baseball's great disappointments - part 2 of ??: Super Joe Charboneau

The promise: He started spring training in 1980 with seven consecutive hits, hit a homer in his second major league at bat, and went 3-for-3 in the home opener. Joe was the overwhelming choice as AL Rookie of the Year, batting .289 with 23 hr, 87 RBI in only 450 at bats for the Indians. That followed two consecutive seasons of .350+ batting averages in the minors. Sports Illustrated wrote a feature article about him. He was as eccentric as he was talented, so he probably generated more column inches than anyone else in the game. There was even a popular song about him. He was 25 and had the world in his arms.

The disappointment: After making only $21,000 in his great rookie year, he became the first Rookie of the Year to get demoted to the minors in the very next year. He never again hit above .214 in the majors. (Hurt his back sliding.)

Where is he now?: Age 54. Still in Cleveland. Still married to the same woman who followed him around the minor leagues. They've been together 34 years. Employed by the department of parks and recreation. Details here.