A shortstop and third baseman in his playing days, Corriden appeared in 223 big league games with the St. Louis Browns (1910), Detroit Tigers (1912) and Chicago Cubs (1913–15), batting .205 with 131 hits.

When playing third base, he was ordered by catcher Jack O'Connor to play back, giving Nap Lajoie a good chance to beat out bunts for hits that could help win the award for Lajoie instead of the widely hated Ty Cobb, who had been leading in the batting average race prior to the last-day's doubleheader, .385 to .376.

As a Major League coach for the next 17 years, Corriden would assist managers such as Rogers Hornsby, Charlie Grimm, Gabby Hartnett, Leo Durocher and Bucky Harris with the Cubs (1932–40), Brooklyn Dodgers (1941–46) and New York Yankees (1947–48) — working for five pennant-winning teams and one World Series champion.

On May 26, 1950, with the Sox only 8–22 and last in the American League, skipper Jack Onslow was dismissed and Corriden, 62 years old at the time, finished out the season.

Red Corriden died in Indianapolis, Indiana, at 72 from a heart attack suffered while watching the 1959 National League tie-breaker series between the Milwaukee Braves and the Dodgers on television.