Born to Serbian immigrants in Chicago on Aug. 9, 1934, Grba learned to play baseball participating in a game called Strikeouts at a young age. He became a three-sport star at Bowen High and signed with the Boston Red Sox after graduating in 1952. Grba debuted with the Yankees at the age of 24 on July 10, 1959, shortly after finishing a two-year stint with the United States Army. He helped the 1960 Yankees win the American League pennant and logged his only appearance of the 1960 World Series, which the Pittsburgh Pirates won, as a pinch-runner.
Source: latimes.com – Los Angeles Times