| Birdie Tebbetts | |
|---|---|
 Tebbetts in 1947 | |
| Catcher /Manager | |
| Born:(1912-11-10)November 10, 1912 Burlington, Vermont, U.S. | |
| Died: March 24, 1999(1999-03-24) (aged 86) Bradenton Beach, Florida, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 16, 1936, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 14, 1952, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .270 |
| Home runs | 38 |
| Runs batted in | 469 |
| Managerial record | 748–705 |
| Winning % | .515 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Managerial record at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| As player As manager | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
George Robert "Birdie"Tebbetts (November 10, 1912 – March 24, 1999) was an American professionalbaseball player,manager,scout and front office executive. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) as acatcher for theDetroit Tigers,Boston Red Sox and theCleveland Indians from 1936 to 1952. Tebbetts was regarded as the best catcher in theAmerican League in the late 1940s.[1][2]
Although he lacked speed and did not hit for power, Tebbetts was an exceptional defensive catcher and intelligent player who capably directed his pitchers. These traits served him well later in his career, as he became the manager for theCincinnati Reds,Milwaukee Braves and theCleveland Indians. His major league career encompassed 14 years as a catcher, 11 as a manager and 28 as a scout.
Tebbetts was born inBurlington, Vermont, but his family moved toNashua, New Hampshire a few months after he was born. Shortly thereafter, his father died, leaving his mother to raise the family.[3] Some reports state that Tebbetts acquired his nickname as a boy after an aunt observed that his voice sounded like a bird chirping, while other reports state the nickname was acquired while attendingProvidence College.[3][1] Tebbetts was abat boy for theNashua Millionaires as a child, also serving as a catcher for pitchers warming up.[4][3][5]
Tebbetts was a star athlete atNashua High School where he attained All-State status as afootballquarterback and as a baseball catcher.[6] He signed a contract with theDetroit Tigers after they agreed to pay his college tuition. He attended Providence College where he became anAll-American in baseball before graduating with a degree inphilosophy in 1934.[5][3][6] He also suffered anappendicitis in college, causing him to miss several months of baseball.[4]
The Tigers purchased futureHall of Fame catcherMickey Cochrane from thePhiladelphia Athletics in December 1933, leaving no place for Tebbetts on the team.[3] He spent the next three seasons playing in theminor leagues before making his MLB debut with the Tigers on September 16,1936 at the age of 23.[3][7] In the1937 season, Cochrane's playing career came to an end when he was hit by a pitch and suffered a fractured skull.[3]Rudy York replaced Cochrane as the Tigers' catcher, but his defensive skills were so poor that by the1939 season, new Tigers managerDel Baker gave Tebbetts a chance to play.[3] Tebbetts ended the season with a .261 batting average and ledAmerican League (AL) catchers inassists and in baserunnerscaught stealing.[8][9]
In1940, York was converted into afirst baseman, leaving Tebbetts in sole possession of the catcher's position.[10] He responded by posting a .296 batting average, as the Tigers defeated theCleveland Indians and theNew York Yankees in a tight pennant race to clinch the American League title.[8] Tebbetts was held hitless in the1940 World Series as the Tigers lost to theCincinnati Reds in a seven-game series.[11] He once again led AL catchers in assists and in baserunners caught stealing.[8][12] In September, Tebbetts had been charged with assault and battery during a game in Cleveland when a basket of tomatoes was dropped on him by a Cleveland fan.[13] As police held the fan, Tebbetts rushed up and struck him. The charges were later dismissed.[14]
Tebbetts developed a reputation for antagonizing opposing players, constantly heckling them in an effort to have them make mistakes and give his team an advantage.[1][15] However, he also could be a good sport. In his autobiography, Tebbetts said he and catcherMike Tresh helped umpireRed Ormbsy call balls and strikes during a game when Ormsby suffered from a dizzy spell. Tebbetts tipped Ormsby off with hand signals following each pitch.[16]
In1941, Tebbetts was hitting for a .296 average by mid-season and earned a place as a reserve player for the American League in the1941 All-Star Game.[17][18] He led American League catchers in assists for a third consecutive year.[19] Tebbetts was named the starting catcher for the American League in the1942 All-Star Game.[20]
Despite holding a3-A draft classification because of his mother's dependency, Tebbetts applied for anArmy Air Corps commission.[21] He joined the military services in August 1942 and was assigned to recruiting duties in Waco, Texas during the Second World War.[22][23] Tebbetts honed his managerial skills as aplayer-manager for the Waco Army Flying School's baseball team.[24] He lost three years of his baseball career to his military service.
After his discharge from the military, Tebbetts returned to play for the Tigers in1946, posting a .243 batting average in 86 games.[8] He was hitting for only a .094 average in May1947 when he was traded to the Boston Red Sox for catcherHal Wagner.[25][26] After the trade, Tebbetts hit for a .299 average for the remainder of the season.[25] There were reports in July 1947 that the Red Sox were considering Tebbetts as a successor to their manager,Joe Cronin.[27] He was hitting for a .286 average at mid-season in1948 and was named as a reserve catcher for the American League in the1948 All-Star Game.[28] The Red Sox finished the season in a first place tie with theCleveland Indians before losing the pennant in aone-game playoff atFenway Park.[29]
Tebbetts was elected to be the starting catcher for the American League in the1949 All-Star Game.[30] He hit for a .270 average in1949 as the Red Sox engaged theNew York Yankees in a tight battle for the pennant that was not decided until the final game of the season.[8][31] The Red Sox had a one-game lead with two games left to play in the season, but lost the final two games of the season against their New York rivals to once again finish in second place.[32]
In1950, the 37-year-old Tebbetts shared catching duties withMatt Batts as he posted a career-high .310 batting average in 84 games.[8] The Red Sox were once again involved in a tight pennant race before faltering to finish in third place in the standings.[33] At a public speaking engagement in October, Tebbetts defended Red Sox managerSteve O'Neill from criticism he received from some of the Red Sox players. In his speech, Tebbetts called the critics "a couple of juvenile delinquents and moronic malcontents."[34] His comments created friction within the team and two months later, his contract was sold to the Cleveland Indians.[3] He spent the final two seasons of his career as a backup catcher for perennial All-StarJim Hegan.[3] Tebbetts played his final major league game on September 14,1952 at the age of 38 although in a news report in December 1952, Tebbetts admitted that his actual age was 43, saying that he subtracted five years off his age after he left college.[8][35]
In a fourteen-year major league career, Tebbetts played in 1,162 games, accumulating 1,000 hits in 3,704 at bats for a .270 career batting average along with 38 home runs, 469 runs batted in and anon-base percentage of .341.[8] He ended his career with a .978 fielding percentage.[8] A four-time All-Star, Tebbetts led American League catchers four times inrange factor, three times in assists, twice in baserunners caught stealing, and once inputouts.[8] Before the arrival of Hall of Fame catcher,Carlton Fisk, Tebbetts was voted the Red Sox' all-time best catcher in a 1969 fan poll , a remarkable feat, considering that he spent only four years with the Red Sox.[36]
In December 1952, the Indians General Manager,Hank Greenberg, named Tebbetts as the manager of theIndianapolis Indians.[37] After Tebbetts guided Indianapolis to a fourth-place finish in 1953, he was hired byGabe Paul to replaceRogers Hornsby as the manager of the Cincinnati Reds.[38] After leading the Reds to fifth-place finishes in1954 and1955, Tebbetts led the team to a surprising third-place finish in1956. The Reds were in first place at mid-season and stayed in the pennant race until the last day of the season, ending up with a 91–63 record, two games behind theBrooklyn Dodgers.[39] For his efforts, theBaseball Writers' Association of America voted Tebbetts as the 1956Manager of the Year.[40] The Reds rewarded him with a three-year contract in December.[41]
In1957, Tebbetts had the Reds in first place at mid-season, earning him a place on thecover ofTime magazine in July of that year.[42][43][44] The Reds faltered during the second half of the season and faded to finish in fourth place.[42]Frank Robinson gave Tebbetts credit for his performance during the 1957 season saying, "He kept after me all year and that's what a young ball player needs."[45] In1958, the Reds fell into last place and Tebbetts announced his resignation on August 14.[46]
In October 1958, Tebbetts was hired as an executive vice president for the Milwaukee Braves.[47] He served in the Braves front office from1959 through September1961, but found that he missed the excitement of being on the playing field.[3] When the team firedChuck Dressen in September 1961, Tebbetts returned to managing for the last month of the season.[3] Ironically, his former team, the Cincinnati Reds, would win theNational League pennant that year.[48] Despite having talented players likeHank Aaron,Eddie Mathews,Joe Adcock,Warren Spahn, andLew Burdette, Tebbetts could manage only a fifth-place finish in1962.[49]
In October 1962, Tebbetts signed a three-year contract to manage the Cleveland Indians, saying that he felt he owed a long-standing debt to new Indians General Manager, Gabe Paul.[50] After managing the Indians to a fifth-place finish in1963, he suffered aheart attack duringspring training in Tucson, Arizona on April 1,1964.[51] Just three months later, he returned to manage the team. After a fifth-place finish in1965, Tebbetts led the Indians to fourteen victories in their first fifteen games of the1966 season, but the team faltered and fell fifteen games out of first place before he resigned as manager in August.[52][53]Tommy John remembered Tebbetts's advice for pitchers when they faced hitters they really struggled against: tell the hitter exactly what they were going to throw. This was meant to confuse the hitter, who would be unsure whether to believe the pitcher or not.[54]
In eleven seasons as a major league manager, Tebbetts compiled a 748–705 win–loss record.[55] He returned to the minor leagues as a manager in 1967, managing theMarion Mets in theAppalachian League.[56] From 1968 to 1997, Tebbetts scouted for theNew York Mets,New York Yankees,Baltimore Orioles and theFlorida Marlins.[3] His baseball acuity earned him a reputation as one of the most respected scouts in professional baseball.[57]Reggie Jackson credited Tebbetts' scouting reports for helping him hit three home runs in Game 6 of the1977 World Series.[58] He retired in 1997, having spent 60 years in baseball, including 53 years in the majors.
| Team | Year | Regular season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | ||
| CIN | 1954 | 154 | 74 | 80 | .481 | 5th in NL |
| CIN | 1955 | 154 | 75 | 79 | .487 | 5th in NL |
| CIN | 1956 | 154 | 91 | 63 | .591 | 3rd in NL |
| CIN | 1957 | 154 | 80 | 74 | .519 | 4th in NL |
| CIN | 1958 | 113 | 52 | 61 | .460 | Resigned |
| CIN total | 729 | 372 | 357 | .510 | ||
| MIL | 1961 | 25 | 12 | 13 | .480 | Interim |
| MIL | 1962 | 162 | 86 | 76 | .531 | 5th in NL |
| MIL total | 188 | 98 | 89 | .524 | ||
| CLE | 1963 | 162 | 79 | 83 | .488 | 6th in AL |
| CLE | 1964 | 90 | 46 | 44 | .511 | 6th in AL |
| CLE | 1965 | 162 | 87 | 75 | .537 | 5th in AL |
| CLE | 1966 | 123 | 66 | 57 | .537 | Resigned |
| CLE total | 537 | 278 | 259 | .518 | ||
| Total[59] | 1453 | 748 | 705 | .515 | ||
Tebbetts moved toAnna Maria, Florida in the early 1960s.[60] He was appointed to theVeterans Committee of the Baseball Hall of Fame in February 1979.[61] He received the JudgeEmil Fuchs Award in 1986 for his long and meritorious service in baseball.[62]
Tebbetts died on March 24, 1999, inBradenton, Florida, at the age of 86.[60]
On May 28, 2009, Tebbetts was announced as a Local Legend of Nashua, New Hampshire, and commemorated with a plaque to be placed inHolman Stadium.[citation needed] He was inducted into theNew Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2014.[4]
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