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. In eleven seasons as a major league manager, Tebbetts compiled a 748–705 win–loss record. He returned to the minor leagues as a manager in 1967, managing the Marion Mets in the Appalachian League. From 1968 to 1997, Tebbetts scouted for the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and the Florida Marlins. His baseball acuity earned him a reputation as one of the most respected scouts in professional baseball. Reggie Jackson credited Tebbetts' scouting reports for helping him hit three home runs in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series. He retired in 1997, having spent 60 years in baseball, including 53 years in the majors. Later life Tebbetts moved to Anna Maria, Florida in the early 1960s. He was appointed to the Veterans Committee of the Baseball Hall of Fame in February 1979. He received the Judge Emil Fuchs Award in 1986 for his long and meritorious service in baseball. 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. Birdie Tebbetts died on March 24, 1999, in Bradenton, Florida, at the age of 86. 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 External links Birdie Tebbetts Biography at Baseball Biography Time Magazine Article The Deadball Era Birdie Tebbetts Biography at Baseball in Wartime 1912 births 1999 deaths American League All-Stars Baltimore Orioles scouts Baseball managers Baseball players from New Hampshire Baseball players from Vermont Beaumont Exporters players Boston Red Sox players Cincinnati Redlegs managers Cleveland Indians managers Cleveland Indians players Detroit Tigers players Indianapolis Indians managers Major League Baseball catchers Miami Marlins scouts Milwaukee Braves executives Milwaukee Braves managers New Bedford Whalers (baseball) players New York Mets scouts New York Yankees scouts People from Anna Maria, Florida Providence Friars baseball players Sportspeople from Nashua, New Hampshire Springfield Senators players