Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and raised in Los Angeles, Haney's major league playing career lasted all or part of seven seasons (1922–27, 1929).

Much of his playing career was spent in his hometown with the city's two Pacific Coast League clubs, the original PCL Angels and the Hollywood Stars.

Haney became a manager in 1936, piloting the Toledo Mud Hens of the AA American Association, the top farm team of the St. Louis Browns.

As a reward, Haney was named manager of the Stars' parent club: the worst team in the National League, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

However, the Braves lost two of three against St. Louis during the season's final weekend, while Brooklyn swept the lowly Pirates three straight to escape with the NL flag by a single game.

"[2] During his tenure of a little more than 3+1⁄2 seasons, Haney would lead the Braves to their only two pennants and lone World Series championship in 13 years of existence (1953–65) in the city.

Yet for all his managerial success in Milwaukee, Haney had more than his share of critics who believed it was largely the result of the immense talent around him.

In 1957, with a lineup that included future Baseball Hall of Fame members Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Warren Spahn, and Red Schoendienst – and stars such as Lew Burdette, Bob Buhl, Johnny Logan and Del Crandall – the Braves won the National League pennant by eight games over the St. Louis Cardinals.

During the regular season, Haney led the Braves in overcoming season-ending injuries to star first baseman Joe Adcock and fleet center fielder Bill Bruton, and slow starts to the season by two regulars, left fielder Bobby Thomson and second baseman Danny O'Connell, both of whom were traded to the New York Giants on June 15 for Schoendienst.

However, Buhl was limited to eleven appearances because of health issues, while Adcock played in only 105 games and Wes Covington in just 90 also because of injuries.

Many consider the turning point was Haney's controversial decision to start Burdette and Spahn on two days' rest each in the final two games, which had the appearance of a panic move, what with his team ahead 3–2 lead in the series.

A short time later, Haney, approaching the age of 61, was dismissed as Braves manager, and he was replaced by the former Dodger coach Chuck Dressen.

Among Haney's mistakes that season: riding his two top pitchers, Warren Spahn and Lew Burdette into the ground while ignoring a number of talented youngsters who were available to pitch; platooning Joe Adcock with the awful Frank Torre long after Torre had demonstrated he was in a year-long slump; failing to settle on a solution when second baseman Red Schoendienst was lost for the season; and loading his bench with a group of grumpy and over-the-hill veterans from which he failed to get any production."

In 1960 he made a brief return to broadcasting, teaming with Lindsey Nelson to call weekend baseball for NBC television.

[3] Haney made the team competitive in its early years by selecting future stars such as the shortstop Jim Fregosi and the pitcher Dean Chance in the expansion draft, and acquiring sluggers such as Leon Wagner and Lee Thomas.