Signed by the Yankees on January 26, 1955 as a bonus baby, Carroll appeared in his first big league game on May 7 of that year.

For the Yankees' World Series victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers, and Don Larsen's only perfect game in World Series history that year, Carroll was on the roster and in the dugout but did not play.

On April 12, 1959, he was traded to the Athletics with Russ Snyder for Mike Baxes and Bob Martyn.

He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1961, a year after retiring from baseball.

Carroll served the CIA for 26 years, including overseas postings at embassies in Brazil, Chile, Venezuela and London, England.