Called the best second baseman in baseball, he played two years at Oregon and ended Washington’s domination with successive Northern Division championships in 1934-35. After playing football as a freshman, the native of Portland became one of the Ducks’ best athletes ever, proving that after his days on campus.

In 11 years with the New York Yankees and Cleveland, he played in nine all-star games and five World Series. He was the American League’s most valuable player in 1942, batting .322 with 102 RBI. He succeeded Tony Lazzeri with the Yankees and played on many outstanding teams with Joe DiMaggio. He also managed in Cleveland, Detroit and Kansas City.