Charlie Maxwell

Charles Richard Maxwell (born April 8, 1927), nicknamed "Smokey," "Paw Paw," (or "Ol' Paw Paw"), "Sunday Punch" and "Sunday Charlie," is a former professional baseball outfielder. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Boston Red Sox (1950–54), Baltimore Orioles (1955), Detroit Tigers (1955–62), and Chicago White Sox (1962–64).

Career overview

Maxwell was an agile left fielder who led all American League outfielders in fielding percentage in 1957 (.997) and 1960 (.996). He had only one error in both years. He was also one of the top power hitters in baseball during his peak years with the Detroit Tigers from 1956–1960, finishing four times among the league leaders in home runs. Maxwell was elected to the American League All-Star team in 1956 and 1957. He batted and threw left-handed.

Maxwell's nicknames included "Paw Paw," (given by the Detroit Tigers announcer Van Patrick because of Maxwell's unusually named hometown of Paw Paw, Michigan), "Smokey," "Sunday Charlie", and "the Sabbath Smasher," the latter two given in recognition of his propensity for hitting home runs on Sundays.

Early years

Born in Lawton, Michigan in 1927, Maxwell played baseball for Western Michigan University in 1945 before being drafted into the U.S. Army. After two years in the military, Maxwell played parts of 8 seasons in the minor leagues (1947–53) before reaching the majors on...
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