Birdie Tebbetts
George Robert Tebbetts
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11½", Weight 170 lb.
- School University of New Hampshire, Providence College
- High School Nashua High School
- Debut September 16, 1936
- Final Game September 14, 1952
- Born November 10, 1912 in Burlington, VT USA
- Died March 24, 1999 in Manatee, FL USA
Biographical Information[edit]
"There ought to be a second-string or Junior Hall of Fame for guys like me. I had a lifetime average of .270 and I'm proud of it. I poured my life's blood into it. I clawed and scrambled and fought and hustled to get it." - Birdie Tebbetts
Birdie Tebbetts played for 14 years in the big leagues and managed for 11 seasons. He entered the Air Force in August 1942 and was discharged in February 1946.
As a player, Tebbetts was a good enough catcher that he never played any other position in the majors. He appeared in the All-Star game four times, and a couple of times was in the top 20 in the MVP voting.
Tebbetts had a reputation for being a plain speaker, once saying that some of his 1950 Boston Red Sox teammates were "moronic malcontents".
Although he played over half of his career with the Detroit Tigers, he never managed them. The one team that he both played for and managed was the Cleveland Indians, for whom he played in 1951 and 1952 at the end of his playing career, and whom he managed from 1963 to 1966 at the end of his managing career. He was the manager in 1956 when Frank Robinson came up as a rookie with the Cincinnati Redlegs. He also managed Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews in Milwaukee.
A heart attack in 1965 presaged the end of his managing career, and after his managing days he became a scout for 28 years with the New York Mets (1968-1974), New York Yankees (1975-1982), Cleveland Indians (1984-1988), and Baltimore Orioles (1989-1992).
He was nicknamed Birdie as a youth by his aunt because of his high-pitched voice. As a kid, his hero was Bill Haeffner, who loaned Birdie a catcher's glove to get him started at the position. Oddly for a ballplayer, Birdie graduated from Providence College with a degree in philosophy. He was there at the same time as Al Blanche. He then did post-graduate work at the University of New Hampshire.
Notable Achievements[edit]
- 4-time AL All-Star (1941, 1942, 1948 & 1949)
- ML Manager of the Year Award (1956)
| Preceded by Buster Mills |
Cincinnati Redlegs Manager 1954-1958 |
Succeeded by Jimmie Dykes |
| Preceded by Chuck Dressen |
Milwaukee Braves Manager 1961-1962 |
Succeeded by Bobby Bragan |
| Preceded by Mel McGaha |
Cleveland Indians Manager 1963 |
Succeeded by George Strickland |
| Preceded by George Strickland |
Cleveland Indians Manager 1964-1966 |
Succeeded by George Strickland |
We're Social...for Statheads
Every Sports Reference Social Media Account
Site Last Updated:
Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction?
Subscribe to our Free Email Newsletter
Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE
Your All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database
Do you have a sports website? Or write about sports? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Find out more.