Charlie Spikes

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1951)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Charlie Spikes

|image=1975 Cleveland Indians Postcards Charlie Spikes.jpg

|position=Outfielder

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1951|1|23}}

|birth_place=Bogalusa, Louisiana, U.S.

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=September 1

|debutyear=1972

|debutteam=New York Yankees

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=October 5

|finalyear=1980

|finalteam=Atlanta Braves

|debut2league = NPB

|debut2date=April 4

|debut2year=1981

|debut2team=Chunichi Dragons

|final2league = NPB

|final2date=June 28

|final2year=1981

|final2team=Chunichi Dragons

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.246

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=65

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=256

|stat2league = NPB

|stat21label=Batting average

|stat21value=.122

|stat22label=Home runs

|stat22value=1

|stat23label=Runs batted in

|stat23value=6

|teams=

• New York Yankees ({{mlby|1972}})
• Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|1973}}–{{mlby|1977}})
• Detroit Tigers ({{mlby|1978}})
• Atlanta Braves ({{mlby|1979}}–{{mlby|1980}})
• Chunichi Dragons ({{npby|1981}})

}}

Leslie Charles Spikes (born January 23, 1951) is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder who played from 1972 through 1980 for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, and Atlanta Braves. He also played 26 games for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan in 1981. His playing career nickname was "the Bogalusa Bomber".

Spikes was drafted in the first round of the 1969 Major League Baseball Draft by the Yankees. He made his major league debut with the Yankees in 1972. He, along with John Ellis, Rusty Torres and Jerry Kenney, was traded from the Yankees to the Indians for Graig Nettles and Jerry Moses at the Winter Meetings on November 27, 1972.[https://www.nytimes.com/1972/11/28/archives/mets-send-agee-to-the-astros-for-pair-yanks-trade-four-to-get-graig.html Durso, Joseph. "Mets Send Agee to the Astros for Pair; Yanks Trade Four to Get Graig Nettles," The New York Times, Tuesday, November 28, 1972.] Retrieved October 24, 2020 His best season was in 1974 for the Indians, when he hit .271 with 22 home runs and 80 RBI. He played for the Indians through the 1977 season. He was dealt to the Tigers for Tom Veryzer at the Winter Meetings on December 9, 1977.[https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/10/archives/yanks-sign-eastwick-to-5year-pact-reds-obtain-vida-blue-but-kuhn.html Durso, Joseph. "Yanks Sign Eastwick to 5-Year Pact," The New York Times, Saturday, December 10, 1977.] Retrieved October 22, 2020