Dick Gernert was a multi-sport star at Temple University before beginning his pro career. With the Red Sox, he played a couple of minor league seasons before starting the '52 campaign in Boston. He was farmed out in May but returned in June and was installed as the regular first baseman. He started again in '53 and hit 21 homers. After a couple of years split between the Sox and the minors, he spent four years as a 'most of the time' starter.
He was tall and strong and was able to launch the ball over the Green Monster in Fenway. Beginning with a trade to the Cubs for 1960 he began a busy few years of playing for them, the Tigers, Reds, and Colt 45s. He was a member of the NL champion 1961 Reds and had four pinch-hit appearances against the Yankees. He played in the minors, again for the Red Sox, for a couple of seasons before retiring after the 1964 season.
He was then a coach, minor league manager, and scout for many years.
When he went from the Red Sox to the Cubs in the 1959/60 offseason (for Dave Hillman and Jim Marshall), it was the first non-waiver interleague trade. They used to have to get waivers even in the offseason to trade a player from one league to another (although I'm sure there were lots of "scratch my back" shenanigans pulled in previous years).
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