 He began his professional career with the Seattle Indians of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) in 1936; he had been signed by Seattle after winning 18 straight games for a semi-professional baseball league in Canada.After a trial with them that year, he was sent to the Wenatchee Chiefs of the Western International League for the 1937 season, finishing the season with 21 wins, 6 losses, and 224 innings pitched over 31 games.He returned to Seattle for the 1938 season, and pitched in 14 games for the team that year.