He is one of the most oft-cited examples of baseball's fabled sophomore jinx, holding the record for the fewest career games played in the Major Leagues by a Rookie of the Year, with 201.

In 1977, Charboneau suddenly quit the Phillies' Carolina League affiliate after fighting with management, and went home to work as a stock clerk and play softball.

[3] The following year, Minnesota, the team that originally drafted Charboneau, gave him another chance and assigned him to Visalia of the California League.

At season's end, though, after participating in a barroom brawl, Charboneau was traded to the Cleveland Indians organization for major-league pitcher Cardell Camper.

In 1980, it looked like Charboneau was headed up to AAA Charleston—until Indians' slugger Andre Thornton was felled by a knee injury, giving Joe his shot at the big leagues.

Trouble continued to follow him; while in Mexico for an exhibition game on March 8, a crazed fan stuck Charboneau with a pen knife.

[3] Despite a few nagging injures late in the season, Charboneau played 131 games in 1980, splitting time between left field and designated hitter.

(Charboneau did make one more appearance in a baseball uniform that year, but only on celluloid; he was an extra in the film The Natural, playing one of Roy Hobbs' teammates.)

Charboneau was hired to manage the Ironmen by close friend and fellow former Cleveland Indians outfielder Kevin Rhomberg, who owned the team.

[6] Prior to managing the Ironmen, Charboneau spent the 2014 baseball season as the hitting coach for the Lake Erie Crushers of the independent Frontier League.