bˈɔːɹn ɪn hˈeɪstɪŋz, nəbɹˈæskə, hiː wʌz ɐn aʊtfˈiːldɚ ænd fˈɜːst bˈeɪsmən hˌuː ɐpˈɪɹd ɪn wˈʌn,θɹˈiːhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti θɹˈiː mˈeɪdʒɚ lˈiːɡ bˈeɪsbɔːl ɡˈeɪmz ˌoʊvɚ fˈoːɹtiːn sˈiːzənz nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi nˈaɪn fˈɪfti tˈuː fɚðə sənt. lˈuːi kˈɑːɹdɪnəlz, bˈɔstən bɹˈeɪvz, pˈɪtsbɜːɡ pˈaɪɹəts, bɹˈʊklɪn dˈɑːdʒɚz, nˈuː jˈɔːɹk jˈæŋkiːz ænd dɪtɹˈɔɪt tˈaɪɡɚz.
Born in Hastings, Nebraska, he was an outfielder and first baseman who appeared in 1,393 Major League Baseball games over 14 seasons (1939–52) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers.