Charboneau batted .289 and hit 23 home runs, despite missing 31 games with injuries. Charboneau was also a fiarly flamboyant character by baseball standards, known for drinking, partying, and frequent changes of hair color. During spring training of his rookie year, a deranged fan stabbed Charboneau in the chest with a ballpoint pen.

Unfortunately, Charboneau did not produce up to his rookie-of-the-year level in the following seasons. Instead, he was frequently injured and frequently drunk. A back injury suffered in spring training in 1981 effectively ended his career. Charboneau batted only .211 with 6 home runs in parts of the next two seasons, and was released by the Indians in 1983, his playing career finished at the age of 27.