Chuck Hawley started his career playing sandlot baseball in Memphis, Tennessee with the minor league Memphis Chicks team. In 1938, Chuck led the Cotton States League with a record of 15-5 and 13-8 for his first two years, pitching a 8-0 no hitter as well. In 1938, he ended the season in Eldorado, Arkansas with a 22-12 record.  Chuck had 174 strikeouts and his overall record was 219-160 with a 3.95 ERA in 3,162 innings.

In 1939, Chuck joined Durham in the Piedmont League and was voted the league All Star Pitcher, winning 11 consecutive games and securing a 17-5 record. From there, it was Class AA ball and in 1942, he was instrumental to Little Rock winning the Southern Association pennant batting .300. He received an offer to play basketball from the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan while working for Ford. 

He then went on to play for Albany in the Eastern League as one of the “Big Three” and won 53 games over a three year period and won three of four games in the Governor’s Cup Playoff. In the Spring of 1947 the Illinois State League was formed and Chuck Hawley was asked to manage the Centralia Cubs and later finished his managing career with Class B ball in the Big State League at Texarkana.  Chuck scouted for the Cincinnati Reds from 1956 to 1958.

Chuck won over 250 games in his career, always finished third place or better and had a .291 batting average.  He played seven seasons in D League, three seasons in C League, six seasons in B League, and four seasons each in A and A1 Leagues.  Chuck holds the best pitching record with the Mattoon Indians in 1948 with 18 wins and an ERA of 1.80. 

Chuck Hawley coached at Kaskaskia College for over 19 years, alongside Coach Larry Smith, and was one of the most celebrated and influential individuals in the Kaskaskia College Athletic Program.