Charles Benjamin "Charlie" Case (July 13, 1852 – January 23, 1928) was an American professional baseball player who primarily played as a pitcher and outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for two seasons during the early era of professional baseball.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Case made his MLB debut in 1877 with the Louisville Grays of the National League. During his rookie season, he served as a pitcher and occasional outfielder. Case's time with the Grays is most notable for his central role in one of baseball's earliest and most significant gambling scandals. Along with first baseman Bill Hague, Case alerted the club's president, Charles Chase, to evidence that four of their teammates—George Hall, Al Nichols, Jim Devlin, and John Seward—were conspiring with gamblers to intentionally lose games.
Case was one of the two players who came forward with the information that exposed the "Louisville Grays Scandal" of 1877. He himself was thoroughly investigated and completely cleared of any wrongdoing by the National League. In fact, he was commended for his honesty and integrity in reporting the fixed games. As a result of the investigation, the four implicated players were banned from the National League for life. Despite Case's ethical stand, the scandal led to the financial collapse of the Louisville Grays franchise, and he departed the team after the 1877 season.
In 1878, Case played his second and final MLB season with the Indianapolis Blues, also of the National League, where he was primarily utilized as an outfielder. After his brief major league career, he continued to play baseball in various minor leagues for several years. Following his baseball career, Case returned to Cincinnati, where he worked as a police officer.
Charlie Case died in his hometown of Cincinnati in 1928 at the age of 75. His legacy in baseball history is largely tied to his role as a whistleblower in the 1877 Louisville Grays scandal, an event that underscored the nascent league's efforts to establish and maintain integrity in the sport.