Carey played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1910 through 1926 and for the Brooklyn Robins from 1926 through 1929.

He attended Concordia College in Fort Wayne, Indiana, studying in the pre-ministerial program.

The team had a new shortstop, Alex McCarthy, so Carey agreed to play as their left fielder.

Carey made his MLB debut with the Pirates, appearing in two games as a replacement for Fred Clarke during the 1910 season.

[1][3] In 1911, Carey played in 122 games as the Pirates' center fielder, replacing Tommy Leach.

[4] In 1913, Carey led the National League in plate appearances (692), at bats (620), runs scored (99), and stolen bases (61).

In the deciding game of the 1925 World Series, Carey had four hits, including three doubles, off of Walter Johnson.

[1] Carey's .458 batting average led all players in the series, and the Pirates defeated the American League's Washington Senators.

When Carey found out about the remark, he called a team meeting, along with Babe Adams and Carson Bigbee, who were also discontented with Clarke.

[27] Carey worked as a scout for the Baltimore Orioles and served as a minor league manager.

[1] In 1944, Carey became the manager of the Milwaukee Chicks in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL).

He self-published a book on baseball strategy and authored magazine articles for publications such as Esquire.

[30] In 1961, the Veterans Committee elected Carey and Billy Hamilton to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

He was survived by his wife, Aurelia, and a son, Max Jr.[30] Carey was nicknamed "Scoop" for his ability to catch fly balls in front of him.

[33] His mark of 738 stolen bases remained a National League record, until Lou Brock surpassed it in 1974.

[34] When Carey was young, his mother sewed special pads into his uniform to protect his legs and hips while sliding.