Charlie Maxwell

Charles Richard Maxwell
(Smokey, Paw Paw, Sunday Charlie or Sabbath Smasher)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 11", Weight 185 lb.
• School Western Michigan College
• High School Lawton (MI) High School
• Debut September 20, 1950
• Final Game April 26, 1964
• Born April 8, 1927 in Lawton, MI USA
• Died December 27, 2024 in Paw Paw, MI USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Charlie Maxwell is one of the all-time most popular Detroit Tigers players. He excited the throngs with his consistent "Sunday" home runs. A fearsome hitter with mates aboard and the game on the line, he holds the Major League record for most home runs in extra innings in a season with 5 in 1960. A steady batsman with a good eye, Maxwell retired with an above-average .360 on-base-percentage.

Four times during his Tiger career he hit 24 or more homers, topping out at 31 in 1959. He also has the most home runs of any player who attended Western Michigan University. Appropriately, "Ole Paw Paw" continues to reside in his hometown of Paw Paw, MI.

Charlie played 14 seasons in the majors. While much of his big league career was with the Tigers, he also played for three other major league teams. In addition, he had seven seasons in the minors, hitting for both average and power, before he became established at the big league level.

Notable Achievements

• 2-time AL All-Star (1956 & 1957)
• 20-Home Run Seasons: 4 (1956, 1957, 1959 & 1960)
• 30-Home Run Seasons: 1 (1959)

Related Sites

• Charlie Maxwell at the SABR Bio Project