[1] He spent 16 years in baseball, pitching seven seasons in the major leagues and 12 in the minors.

[2][3] Nicknamed "Lefty",[4] LaPalme started his professional career in 1941 at the age of 17, pitching for the Bristol Twins of the Appalachian League.

He posted a 10–4 mark in 21 games and opened 1942 with the Erie Sailors of the Middle Atlantic League, going 12–11 with a 3.27 earned run average before joining the military.

LaPalme entered the majors in 1951 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, playing for them four years before joining the St. Louis Cardinals (1955–56), Cincinnati Redlegs (1956) and Chicago White Sox (1956–57).

In a seven-season career, LaPalme posted a 24–45 record with 277 strikeouts in 253 games, including 94 starts, one shutout, 14 saves, and 6161⁄3 innings of work.