Clift was born in El Reno, Oklahoma. He tried out for the St. Louis Browns in 1931 and sustained an unusual injury during the tryout. While reaching to field a ball, Clift stepped on his own glove, which caused him to trip and roll forward. He broke his collarbone in the fall. Nonetheless, the Browns signed Clift and he made his major-league debut in 1934.\n', '

In the 1937 season, he set single-season records of 50 double plays and 405 assists that stood until 1971.\n', '

Clift was traded to the Washington Senators in 1943. A serious case of the mumps and a horse-riding injury hampered Clift\'s play late in his career. In 12 seasons, Clift played in 1,582 games, and had 1,558 hits in 5,730 at bats for a .272 batting average. Clift was one of the first power-hitting third basemen, posting his offensive numbers at a time when players at that position were more valued for their fielding. However, Clift was also regarded as a superb fielder.\n', '

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