The year after Fox's last big league appearance, he bought a local tavern in San Antonio, while he pitched for the Missions of the Double-ATexas League; a month into the offseason, he was stabbed to death at age 34 during a disturbance at that establishment.
A hard thrower with a sharp curveball, Fox debuted in MLB in 1944 with the Reds, playing seven years before joining the Philadelphia Phillies, in 1952, and the Baltimore Orioles, in 1954. His most productive season came in 1950, for Cincinnati, when he went 11–8, a year after his 6–19 record gave him the most losses of any pitcher in the major leagues. In 1951, Fox collected nine victories, with a 3.83 earned run average (ERA), in a career-high 228 innings, but suffered 14 losses.
In nine major league seasons, Fox posted a 43–72 record, with 342 strikeouts, a 4.33 ERA, in 248 appearances, including 132 starts, 42 complete games, five shutouts, six saves, and 1,108+1⁄3 innings of work. In 253 games, Fox hit .189, with two home runs, and 25 runs batted in (RBI).
While he was a minor league pitcher in the Texas League for the San Antonio Missions in 1955, Fox purchased a San Antonio tavern. That October, he was attempting to kick three men out of the bar when a struggle ensued in front of the tavern. Fox was stabbed three times and died as he was trying to crawl back to the door of the establishment. A San Antonio College student, John Strickland, was arrested and two other men were held as material witnesses.[4] Strickland was charged with murder with malice and another man was indicted on an aggravated assault charge in the stabbing injury of Fox's bartender, who was critically injured.[5]