Born in Greeley, Colorado, Lindell attended Monrovia High School in Monrovia, California, where he starred in football and track as well as in baseball. At the 1935 Southern California Prep Championships, he won the 120 yard High Hurdles and placed third in the long jump. Lindell won a scholarship to attend the University of Southern California.\n', '

Lindell began his professional baseball career in 1936 at the age of 19 when he was signed by the New York Yankees organization. He progressed through the Yankees\' minor league system as a pitcher. While playing for the Kansas City Blues in 1940, he led the American Association with 18 victories. Lindell made his major league debut at the age of 24 with the Yankees on April 18, 1941 before being returned to the minor leagues where, he won 23 games against 4 defeats to help the Newark Bears win the International League championship. In December 1941, he was selected as the Minor League Player of the Year.\n', '

Lindell returned to the major leagues in 1942 as a relief pitcher but, Yankees manager Joe McCarthy thought that his low strikeout totals indicated that his fast ball had lost its velocity. During spring training in 1943, McCarthy experimented with using Lindell as a first baseman and as an outfielder. He hit well enough to win the starting right fielder\'s position and, had a batting average above the .300 mark in early June to earn a place as a reserve player for the American League team in the 1943 All-Star Game. In the second half of the season, his hitting tapered off and he was replaced in the starting lineup by Bud Metheny. Lindell ended the season leading the league with 12 triples along with a .245 batting average in 122 games as the Yankees won the American League pennant by 13½ games over the Washington Senators.\n', '

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