The son of Italian immigrants, Angelo Giuliani was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on November 24, 1912. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound catcher began his professional career in 1932 with his hometown St. Paul Saints of the American Association. Drafted by the St. Louis Browns, he made his major league debut in 1936.

The son of Sicilian immigrants, Phil Cavarretta was 17 years old when he quit high school in 1934 and began playing professional baseball in the Chicago Cubs organization to help support his family during the Great Depression.