Birdie Tebbetts

Birdie Tebbetts
Catcher / Manager
Born: November 10, 1912
Burlington, Vermont
Died: March 24, 1999 (aged 86)
Bradenton Beach, Florida
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 16, 1936 for the Detroit Tigers
Last MLB appearance
September 14, 1952 for the Cleveland Indians
Career statistics
Batting average .270
Home runs 38
Runs batted in 469
Teams

As player

As manager

Career highlights and awards

George Robert "Birdie" Tebbetts (November 10, 1912 – March 24, 1999) was an American professional baseball player, manager, scout and front office executive.[1][2] He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians from 1936 to 1952. Tebbets was regarded as the best catcher in the American League in the late 1940s.[3][4]

Although he lacked speed and didn't hit for power, Tebbetts was an exceptional defensive catcher and intelligent player who capably directed his pitchers.[3] These traits served him well later in his career, as he became the manager for the Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Braves and the Cleveland Indians. His major league career encompassed 14 years as a catcher, 11 as a manager and 28 as a scout.[5]

Early life

Tebbetts was born in Burlington, Vermont, but his family moved to Nashua, New Hampshire a few months after he was born.[2] Shortly thereafter, his father died, leaving his mother to raise the family.[2] 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 attending Providence College.[2][3]

Tebbetts was a star athlete at Nashua High School where he attained All-State status as a football quarterback and as a baseball catcher.[6] He signed a contract with the Detroit Tigers after they agreed to pay his college tuition.[2] He attended Providence College where he became an All-American in baseball before graduating with a degree in philosophy in 1934.[2][6]

Baseball career

The Tigers purchased future Hall of Fame catcher Mickey Cochrane from the Philadelphia Athletics in December 1933, leaving no place for Tebbetts on the team.[2] He spent the next three seasons playing in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut with the Tigers on September 16, 1936 at the age of 23.[2][7] In the 1937 season, Cochrane's playing career came to an end when he was hit by a pitch and suffered a fractured skull.[2] Rudy York replaced Cochrane as the Tigers' catcher, but his defensive skills were so poor that by the 1939 season, new Tigers manager Del Baker gave Tebbetts a chance to play.[2] He ended the season with a .261 batting average and led American League (AL) catchers in assists and in baserunners caught stealing.[1][8]

In 1940, York was converted into a first baseman, leaving Tebbetts in sole possession of the catcher's position.[9] He responded by posting a .296 batting average, as the Tigers defeated the Cleveland Indians and the New York Yankees in a tight pennant race to clinch the American League title.[1] Tebbetts was held hitless in the 1940 World Series as the Tigers lost to the Cincinnati Reds in a seven-game series.[10] He once again led AL catchers in assists and in baserunners caught stealing.[1][11] 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.[12] As police held the fan, Tebbetts rushed up and struck him. The charges were later dismissed.[13] He developed a reputation for antagonizing opposing players, constantly hectoring them in an effort to have them make mistakes and give his team an advantage.[3][14]

In 1941, Tebbetts was hitting for a .296 average by mid-season and earned a place as a reserve player for the American League in the 1941 All-Star Game.[15][16] He led American League catchers in assists for a third consecutive year.[17] Tebbetts was named the starting catcher for the American League in the 1942 All-Star Game.[18]

Despite holding a 3-A draft classification because his mother's dependency, Tebbetts applied for an Army Air Corps commission.[19] He joined the military services in August 1942 and was assigned to recruiting duties in Waco, Texas during the Second World War.[20][21] Tebbetts honed his managerial skills as a player-manager for the Waco Army Flying School's baseball team.[22] 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 in 1946, posting a .243 batting average in 86 games.[1] He was hitting for only a .094 average in May 1947 when he was traded to the Boston Red Sox for catcher Hal Wagner.[23][24] After the trade, Tebbetts hit for a .299 average for the remainder of the season.[23] There were reports in July 1947 that the Red Sox were considering Tebbetts as a successor to their manager, Joe Cronin.[25] He was hitting for a .286 average at mid-season in 1948 and was named as a reserve catcher for the American League in the 1948 All-Star Game.[26] The Red Sox finished the season in a first place tie with the Cleveland Indians before losing the pennant in a one-game playoff at Fenway Park.[27]

Tebbetts was elected to be the starting catcher for the American League in the 1949 All-Star Game.[28] He hit for a .270 average in 1949 as the Red Sox engaged the New York Yankees in a tight battle for the pennant that wasn't decided until the final game of the season.[1][29] 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 finished in second place.[30]

In 1950, the thirty-seven-year-old Tebbetts shared catching duties with Matt Batts as he posted a career-high .310 batting average in 84 games.[1] The Red Sox were once again involved in a tight pennant race before faltering to finish in third place in the standings.[31] At a public speaking engagement in October, Tebbetts defended Red Sox manager Steve 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."[32] His comments created friction within the team and two months later, his contract was sold to the Cleveland Indians.[2] He spent the final two seasons of his career as a back up catcher for perennial All-Star, Jim Hegan.[2] 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.[1][33]

Career statistics

In an 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 an on-base percentage of .341.[1] He ended his career with a .978 fielding percentage.[1] A four-time All-Star, Tebbetts led American League catchers four times in range factor, three times in assists, twice in baserunners caught stealing, and once in putouts.[1] 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 only spent four years with the Red Sox.[34]

Managerial and executive career

Tebbetts during his time as Cincinnati Reds manager.

In December 1952, the Indians General Manager, Hank Greenberg, named Tebbetts as the manager of the Indianapolis Indians.[35] After guiding Indianapolis to a fourth-place finish in 1953, Gabe Paul hired Tebbetts to replace Rogers Hornsby as the manager of the Cincinnati Reds.[36] After leading the Reds to fifth-place finishes in 1954 and 1955, Tebbetts led the team to a surprising third-place finish in 1956. 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 the Brooklyn Dodgers.[37] For his efforts, the Baseball Writers Association of America voted Tebbetts as the 1956 Manager of the Year.[38] The Reds rewarded him with a three-year contract in December.[39]

In 1957, Tebbetts had the Reds in first place at mid-season, earning him a place on the cover of Time magazine in July of that year.[40][41] The Reds faltered during the second half of the season and faded to finish in fourth place.[40] 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."[42] In 1958, the Reds fell into last place and Tebbetts announced his resignation on August 14.[43]

In October 1958, Tebbetts was hired as an executive vice president for the Milwaukee Braves.[44] He served in the Braves front office from 1959 through September 1961, but found that he missed the excitement of being on the playing field.[2] When the team fired Chuck Dressen in September 1961, Tebbetts returned to managing for the last month of the season.[2] Ironically, his former team, the Cincinnati Reds, would win the National League pennant that year.[45] Despite having talented players like Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Joe Adcock, Warren Spahn, and Lew Burdette, Tebbetts could only manage a fifth-place finish in 1962.[46]

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.[47] After managing the Indians to a fifth-place finish in 1963, he suffered a heart attack during spring training in Tucson, Arizona on April 1, 1964.[48] Just three months later, he returned to manage the team. After a fifth place finish in 1965, Tebbetts led the Indians to fourteen victories in their first fifteen games of the 1966 season, but the team faltered and fell fifteen games out of first place before he resigned as manager in August.[49][50]

In eleven seasons as a major league manager, Tebbetts compiled a 748–705 won-loss record.[51] He returned to the minor leagues as a manager in 1967, managing the Marion Mets in the Appalachian League.[52] From 1968 to 1997, Tebbetts scouted for the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and the Florida Marlins.[2] His baseball accuity earned him a reputation as one of the most respected scouts in professional baseball.[53] Reggie Jackson credited Tebbetts' scouting reports for helping him hit three home runs in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series.[54]

Later life

Tebbetts was appointed to the Veterans Committee of the Baseball Hall of Fame in February 1979.[55] He received the Judge Emil Fuchs Award in 1986 for his long and meritorious service in baseball.[56]

Perhaps most revealing of Tebbetts's character is his recollection of an umpire who suffered dizzy spells following his return from the war. Afraid of losing his job, the umpire asked Tebbetts, then the Tigers catcher, to help calling balls and strikes, and Tebbetts tipped him off with hand signals following each pitch.[57]

Birdie Tebbetts died on March 24, 1999 in Bradenton, Florida, at age of 86.[5] On May 28, 2009, Birdie was announced as a Local Legend of Nashua, New Hampshire, and commemorated with a plaque to be placed in Holman Stadium.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 "Birdie Tebbetts at Baseball Reference". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 Birdie Tebbetts at the SABR Bio Project, by Tom Simon, retrieved 28 June 2011
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 McNeil, William (2006). Backstop: a history of the catcher and a sabermetric ranking of 50 all-time greats. Books.Google.com. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  4. ↑ Richman, Milton (February 1949). Behind Plate or At It – Catchers Lag. Baseball Digest. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Litsky, Frank (26 March 1999). "Birdie Tebbetts, Plain Speaker With 53-Year Baseball Career". nytimes.com. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Tebbetts: Nashua's big leaguer". The Telegraph. 10 April 1994. p. 6. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  7. ↑ "Birdie Tebbetts minor league statistics". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  8. ↑ "1939 American League Fielding Leaders". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  9. ↑ "York To First Base". Lawrence Journal-World. Associated Press. 27 January 1940. p. 6. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  10. ↑ "1940 World Series". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  11. ↑ "1940 American League Fielding Leaders". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  12. ↑ "Detroit Catcher Sued For Attack On Cleveland Fan". The Evening Independent. Associated Press. 30 September 1940. p. 12. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  13. ↑ "Dismissed". The Telegraph-Herald. Associated Press. 26 January 1941. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  14. ↑ Tebbetts, Birdie (October 1949). I'd Rather Catch. Baseball Digest (Books.Google.com). Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  15. ↑ "1941 Birdie Tebbetts batting log". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  16. ↑ "1941 All-Star Game". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  17. ↑ "1941 American League Fielding Leaders". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  18. ↑ "1942 All-Star Game". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  19. ↑ "Birdie Tebbetts Fails To Secure Commission". The Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. 4 June 1942. p. 16. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  20. ↑ "Tebbetts Brings Waco First Good Baseball Team". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. 6 April 1943. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  21. ↑ "Birdie Tebbetts Joins Army Air Corps, Texas". The Telegraph. Associated Press. 20 August 1942. p. 1. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  22. ↑ "Birdie Tebbetts Is Up A Tree". The Telegraph. 10 June 1944. p. 7. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "1947 Birdie Tebbetts batting log". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  24. ↑ "Bosox Swap Wagner For Birdie Tebbetts". The Lewiston Daily Sun. Associated Press. 21 May 1947. p. 8. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  25. ↑ "Tebbetts Linked With Boston Job". The Deseret News. Associated Press. 8 July 1947. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  26. ↑ "1948 All-Star Game". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  27. ↑ "Bearden, Boudreau, Keltner Share Honors as Indians Win". The Milwaukee Journal. October 5, 1948. p. 8.
  28. ↑ "1949 All-Star Game". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  29. ↑ "1949 Boston Red Sox Schedule, Box Scores and Splits". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  30. ↑ "1949 American League Team Statistics and Standings". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  31. ↑ "1950 Boston Red Sox Schedule, Box Scores and Splits". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  32. ↑ "Birdie Tebbetts Puts The Blast On Two Sox Hurlers". Lewiston Evening Journal. Associated Press. 2 October 1950. p. 8. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  33. ↑ "For Bosox Job, Haney May Pilot Bucs". Toledo Blade. Blade News Services. 2 December 1952. p. 26. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  34. ↑ "Williams – Bosox Best". The Evening Independent. Associated Press. 9 June 1969. p. 12. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  35. ↑ "Tebbetts Appointed Indianapolis Pilot". Reading Eagle. United Press International. 2 December 1952. p. 22. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  36. ↑ "Birdie Tebbetts Signs Two-Year Pact With Reds". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. 30 September 1953. p. 10. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  37. ↑ "1956 Cincinnati Redlegs Schedule, Box Scores and Splits". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  38. ↑ "Birdie Tebbetts Manager Of Year". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. 24 October 1956. p. 16. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  39. ↑ "Birdie Tebbetts Given New Pact". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Associated Press. 14 December 1956. p. 13. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 "1957 Cincinnati Redlegs Schedule, Box Scores and Splits". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  41. ↑ "Time Archive". time.com. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  42. ↑ "Robinson Says Credit Of Honor Belongs To Tebbetts". The Dispatch. Associated Press. 2 November 1957. p. 16. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  43. ↑ "Birdie Tebbetts Quits As Cincinnati Manager". Schenectady Gazette. Associated Press. 15 August 1958. p. 26. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  44. ↑ "Braves Give Birdie Tebbetts Position In The Front Office". The News and Courier. Associated Press. 13 October 1958. p. 8. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  45. ↑ "1961 National League Team Statistics and Standings". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  46. ↑ "1962 National League Team Statistics and Standings". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  47. ↑ "Tebbetts New Pilot Of Indians". The Pittsburgh Press. United Press International. 6 October 1962. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  48. ↑ "Birdie Tebbetts Hospitalized After Heart Attack; May Be Out Eight Months". Youngstown Vindicator. Vindicator State Wire. 2 April 1964. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  49. ↑ "1966 Cleveland Indians Schedule, Box Scores and Splits". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  50. ↑ "Birdie Tebbetts Ducks Out Of Wigwam". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. 20 August 1966. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  51. ↑ "Birdie Tebbetts managing record". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  52. ↑ "Birdie Tebbetts minor league managing record". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  53. ↑ "Rockies and Marlins Work Hard Now to Play in 1993". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 15 June 1992. p. 5. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  54. ↑ Kernan, Kevin (4 November 2009). "Give Chase his props – but Reggie's still tops". nypost.com. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  55. ↑ "Baseball HOF Board Adopts 2 Changes". The Victoria Advocate. Associated Press. 12 February 1979. p. 2. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  56. ↑ "Names In Sports". Star-News. 21 December 1986. p. 2. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  57. ↑ Turpin, Michael A. "A Veteran’s Day for Red Ormsby". Michael A Turpin's Blog. Retrieved 13 December 2012.

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