After leading the Eastern League with a .375 BA in 1947, the WWII Navy veteran jumped
to the ML as backup catcher for the Indians' 1948 World Champions, hitting .289.
Traded or sold four times in the next six seasons (in 1950, from the White Sox to
the A's for Nellie Fox), he showed home run power but remained a substitute.
(RTM)
»May 3, 1949: Taking advantage of the shortened fence installed by White Sox GM Frank Lane, the Senators belt seven homers—and need them all—in beating Chicago, 14–12 in 10 innings. This is only time a team has collected seven homers in an extra inning contest. Clyde Vollmer leads the hit parade with 2, followed by Mark Christman, Gil Coan, Al Evans, Eddie Robinson, and Bud Stewart. The Sox get homers from Joe Tipton and Gus Zernial.
»October 29, 1949:
Arguably their best trade ever, the White Sox send
C Joe Tipton, who hit .204 in his one season in Chicago,
to the Athletics for young Nellie Fox.