A native of Richburg, South Carolina, he was the older brother of Marty Marion, the longtime star shortstop of the St. Louis Cardinals and former big league skipper.

A right-handed batter and thrower, he collected five hits in 26 at-bats, for a .179 batting average.

He spent ten years (1946–55) as a pilot in the Boston Red Sox organization, beginning with the Oneonta Red Sox of the Class C Canadian–American League and ending with the Triple-A Louisville Colonels of the American Association.

In 1956 he remained at the Louisville helm for a final half-season, even though the Red Sox no longer sponsored the Colonels.

His career minor league managing record was 1,352 victories and 1,224 defeats, a winning percentage of .525.