But the U.S. entered World War II after that season, and Carswell lost four years while serving in the United States Marine Corps.

[1] By the time he returned to pick up his baseball career, he was 26 years old and his prospects for MLB stardom had been dimmed.

The parent Tigers promoted him, at age 31, to the Buffalo Bisons of the Triple-A International League in 1951, and Carswell batted .302.

All told, Carswell played 13 minor league seasons, compiled a lifetime batting average of .337 and hit 209 home runs.

The following season, he rejoined the Detroit farm system as a full-time manager, working his way up from Class D to Triple-A (including assignments with the Syracuse Chiefs and the Toledo Mud Hens) over the next 13 years (1958–70).