All-Time Indians: Charlie Spikes

Charlie Spikes had just a nine year Major League career, but the majority of that was played in Cleveland and during that time he provided a positive offensive force that was generally otherwise absent from the lineup during the mid 1970’s.

Before coming to Cleveland, Spikes was a first round pick by the Yankees in 1969 and after just three full seasons in the minors he was a September call-up in 1972 playing 14 games with New York. At the end of this season, he was moved in a deal to the Indians in what ended up being a very friendly trade for the Yankees. In it, they netted one of the best third basemen in franchise history, Graig Nettles, and Jerry Moses while Cleveland obtained Spikes, John Ellis, Rusty Torres and Jerry Kenney.

While Nettles would continue to be an All-Star in New York, even as a rookie Spikes quickly became the Indians best hitter. Starting in left field from Opening Day, Spikes got into 140 games and batted .237 with a team high 23 home runs and 73 RBI. As mentioned, the Indians of this time didn’t have much else to go with offensively and it is hard to imagine how much worse a team that won just 71 games and scored only 680 runs would have been without the 22 year old Spikes.

It was likely this promise of the future for Spikes (as well as the play of Buddy Bell at third) that made the Nettles trade seem like a good idea and Spikes would improve upon the numbers from his rookie campaign in his second full Major League season. This season, it would turn out, would be his best ever and none after would even come close. Playing in 155 games (he wouldn’t play in more than 115 in a season ever again) he batted .273 (he never batted above .240 after this in any season with at least 150 at bats), knocked out another 22 home runs and knocked in 80.

While these first two years were as good as anyone could have asked from any right fielder, let alone one just entering the game, they ended up being the bulk of Spikes’ career. In his only showing of speed on the bases during his career, he stole 10 bases in 1974 and combined with the previous year, the 15 made up more than 50% of his career steals. This was even more extreme with his power numbers as his 45 home runs were nearly 70% of his final total and his 153 RBI almost 60%.

After two years on top, Spikes’ downfall was swift. In 1975 he played just 111 games followed by his final 100 game season in 1976. In both of these seasons, he knocked in just over 30 runs while batting under .240 with an OBP below .295. The promotion of Rick Manning in center moved 1974 All-Star George Hendrick to right field and with Oscar Gamble in left and Rico Carty at DH, Spikes was moved into more of a bench outfielder role. While he was the most used right fielder again in 1976, this had more to do with Gamble being traded to New York than any improvements made. While Spikes did improve that year as far as his average was concerned, his power almost disappeared as he hit a career low three home runs and 11 doubles.

The following season, Spikes saw his average stay at .232 and his playing time drop to just 32 games, one of the Indians least used outfielders. Due to his struggles that year, he was sent to AAA Toledo, his first trip to the minor leagues with the Indians and while he played adequately there, it was nothing like his first two years in the Majors. Looking to get any value back from a player who should have been one of the greatest ever, but was as big of a bust as the Indians ever had, Spikes was traded to Detroit for Tom Veryzer at the end of the season.

Spikes chance to start over lasted all of ten games in Detroit before getting released and while he played two more seasons for Atlanta, he never played in more than 70 games or returned to his early form. At just 29 years old, Spikes was out of Major League baseball after the 1980 season. In 1981, he played one season with the Chunichi Dragons in Japan, but this was worse than any year he had in the Majors and he retired for good after his foray into the East.