He played his entire eighteen-year career in Major League Baseball as a second baseman for the Kansas City Royals from 1973 to 1990 and was an integral member of the 1985 World Series winning team.

A five-time All-Star player, White was considered one of the best defensive second basemen of his era, winning eight Gold Glove Awards between 1977 and 1987.

[3] After his playing career, he has worked as a professional baseball coach and television color commentator, and has been elected to public office in Jackson County, Missouri.

[4] Though initially disliked by Kansas City fans because he displaced the popular Cookie Rojas at second base, he went on to set a major-league record jointly with teammate George Brett, by appearing in 1,914 games together.

He also hit for the cycle twice in his major league career, on September 26, 1979, in a 4–0 victory over the California Angels and on August 3, 1982, in a 6–5 win over the Detroit Tigers.

After the end of White's playing career, he was a first base coach with both the Boston Red Sox from 1994 to 1996, and with the Kansas City Royals from 1997 to 2001, wearing uniform number 20 for both teams.

FSN Kansas City announced in early December 2011 that White's broadcasting contract wouldn’t be renewed as the Royals' television color commentator.

[9] White ran for the Jackson County Legislature in 2014 as a Democrat, winning the election of an at-large seat.