February

Who is this "wind-up" ballplayer?

I was born May 11, 1903, in Fowlerville, Michigan, the second son of German Catholic immigrants.

My first full season in the bigs was 1926, when I hit .277 with 17 triples for player-manager Ty Cobb's Detroit Tigers.

I played in every game during the 1928, 1929, 1930, 1933, and 1934 seasons, earning me the nickname "Mr. Mechanical."

Teammate Doc Cramer once said about me, "You wind him up on Opening Day and forget him."

I was also known as the "Quiet Man." Player-manager Mickey Cochrane described me as follows: "[He] says 'hello' on Opening Day, 'goodbye' on closing day, and in between hits .350."

I played every inning of the first six All-Star Games, batting a record .500 in 20 at-bats.

I was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1949 but did not attend the induction ceremony, as my wedding was five days later.

I died on January 21, 1993, in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, age 89.