This Brooklyn native was signed by the Yankees, but traded to the Orioles while still in the minors. He would become the 1965 Rookie of the Year for the Orioles, and caught Tom Phoebus' 4/27/68 no-hitter for them, but his bat was always better then his defense.

His nickname, "Clank", reflected his "iron glove". Baltimore re-evaluated their choices at catcher and dealt him to Houston before the 1969 season. After one season with the Astros, he bounced around the majors before retiring in 1972.

After his death on January 28th, 2001, his wife Lana honored his wish to have his ashes scattered over old Memorial Stadium in Baltimore even as it was being demolished.