Koenig played minor league baseball for four different teams until May 1925, when he signed for the New York Yankees. After making his debut in September 1925 and spending five seasons with the Yankees, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers, where he spent the next two seasons. He subsequently joined the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds via trades in 1932 and 1934, respectively, and was finally traded to the New York Giants, with whom he played his last game on September 27, 1936. Koenig is most famous for being the last surviving member of the Murderers\' Row.\n', '

Koenig was born on July 19, 1904 in San Francisco. His father, Charles Koenig, and paternal grandfather William were both bricklayers, with the latter having immigrated from Germany to the United States. His mother Stella was of Swiss descent. Koenig had two brothers and a sister, and, during his childhood, he first met and played baseball with fellow San Franciscan and future teammate Tony Lazzeri. He attended Lowell High School in his hometown, but dropped out at the age of 16 in order to pursue a career in baseball. His high school eventually bestowed upon him his diploma in 1988. Koenig, who was 83 at the time, described the honor as a complete surprise.\n', '

Koenig first started playing organized baseball on the Moose Jaw Millers team in the Western Canada League. It was here that he was first spotted by Bob Connery, a scout who worked for the New York Yankees organization. After the league collapsed in the middle of the season, he proceeded to play for the St. Paul Saints, a minor league baseball team that competed in the American Association. He spent nearly the next four seasons with the team; during this time, he had brief sojourns in Jamestown and the Des Moines Boosters in order to garner more playing experience.\n', '

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