He began his career with the California Angels in 1988, but was a streaky hitter and was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in 1991. After putting up only average numbers with Milwaukee, he was traded to the new expansion team, the Colorado Rockies. It was with the Rockies where he shined as a player. At least some of his slugging success can be attributed to the home run-friendly ballparks in Denver, Mile High Stadium and Coors Field. The dry air in the Colorado capital made the baseball drier and harder, and thus able to travel much further upon contact, though an unusually expansive outfield was included in the design of Coors Field as a mitigating and equalizing factor against the dry air.