Birdie Tebbetts

George Robert "Birdie" Tebbetts (November 10, 1912 – March 24, 1999) was a professional baseball catcher who played for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, and Cleveland Indians from 1936 to 1952. A Providence College product, Tebbetts was regarded as the best catcher in the American League in the late 1940s. He did not hit for power or speed, but was recognized as an exceptional defensive backstop whose ability to handle pitchers set him apart. Those skills carried into a second career: he managed the Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Braves, and Cleveland Indians, logging 14 seasons as a player, 11 as a manager, and 28 as a scout.