Born Daniel Joseph Staub in New Orleans, Lousiana, he signed as a 17-year-old for a whopping $110,000 bonus, being the first big prospect in the Houston farm system. Barely 19 years old when he debuted in the majors, Rusty struggled offensively until 1966.

He developed into a tenacious hitter, batting .301 and average 45 extra-base hits from 1966 to 1968. His 44 doubles and .333 average in 1967 would both stand as team records for 27 years.

A fan favorite just about everyplace he played; in Montreal as an expansion Expo, he earned the nickname that he carried with him for the rest of his career, "Le Grande Orange".

In 2001, he achieved new respect in New York as it became widely known that he has been operating the New York Police and Fire Widows and Children's Benefit Fund since 1985, after getting choked up reading a newspaper account of a police officer killed in the line of duty.

Rusty owned 2 successful restaurants in Manhattan for many years as well as a sporting goods corporation based in Canada. He presently resides in Florida and New York City.