Eliot Asinof's classic Man on Spikes (McGraw-Hill: 1955) is the minor league odyssey of outfielder Mike Kutner; his quest to get to the majors thwarted at every turn, despite his admirable play. His story is told by a series of different voices: by the people he meets and interacts with along the way. One of those people is Charlie Caulfield, a clown in flannels and stirrups. His life intersects with Kutners' while the two are playing outfield for the Houston Steers, a AA team in the fictional Chicago Lions farm system of the 1940s. Caulfield started playing professional ball on a lark. As a college graduate he could have gone into business with a friend, but decided to play around for a few years with a local Class B team. His hitting was good enough to get him noticed by the AA Steers and, with a draft deferment - this was 1941 and Caulfield had a punctured eardrum - he had good timing. But he quickly discovered that being the "funny man" would help him stay with the team far longer than his skills.
Once, when hitting a ball back to the pitcher, he was so frustrated that instead of even trying to run to first base, he headed toward third base, instead. The pitcher and third basemen were so confused that they got Caulfield in a rundown between third and home until Caulfield finally sat down and laughed out loud. As Asinof put it: "he gave up even trying to be a real ball player; he was getting paid to be a freak."
Caulfield plays the fool to the story's leading character's professionalism. Charlie lives life for the moment and is seemingly rewarded for it. And, despite all his efforts, Kutner struggles to realize his goals. Caulfield points out that lightening up will help Mike's situation. That "people will like you more. It helps to be liked..." Friendship and being amicable are more valuable than sweating and working hard, and will help advance a person farther.
With the serious-minded, and naturally-skilled Kutner next to him in center field, though, Caulfield eventually finds himself reevaluating what he's become. In a telling moment in the locker room, Caulfield feels his insides churning, wanting not to have to go out and "perform" once again, but to fake an illness and take the night off. He sits on the bench next to Kutner feeling tired and old. His thoughts lead him to be absent-minded in his play, to the point of misplaying a fly ball and having Kutner admonish him for not "being in the game." In the 9th inning, however, Caulfield pulls himself together and redeems himself, through his own unique style, by scoring the winning run. His action and humor actually bring a smile to Mike Kutner's face, restoring Charlie's belief in himself.
Caulfield's outlook on life (not to mention his luck) prove to be prophetic. While sitting out a season serving his country in the Aleutian islands during the 1944 season, Kutner learns that his former teammate is playing centerfield for the St. Louis Cardinals. Listening to the radio broadcast of the World Series, Kutner hears how his former teammate misplays a flyball but adjusts to make a diving catch that saves the game.
Charlie Caulfield's role in Mike Kutner's story is limited to primarily his one featured chapter. But in addition to his appearance in the World Series, we are treated to a short aside that informs us that Caulfield eventually ends up as the third-string outfielder for the Lions. As this coincides to the end of Mike Kutner's career, we have to assume that it is also toward the end of Caulfield's, as well, since the two are roughly the same age.
Charlie Caulfield is one of the stronger supporting characters in Man on Spikes. His is a story that could stand on its own -- the story of the clown who made it to the Show.
