| DATE SHOT: 1954 SUBJECTS: Birdie Tebbetts, Dick Bartell, Tom Ferrick PHOTOGRAPHER: Herb Heise APPROXIMATE SIZE: 8-1/8"x10" MARKS / STAMPING: Hand-signed by Birdie Tebbetts SIGNERS: Birdie Tebbetts COMMENTS / CONDITION: As with all of my signed items, the signature is guaranteed to pass further inspection by any major authenticator, or your money back. See scans for signature quality and photo condition. This is one of a number of photos and ephemera to be offered this week which hail from the personal collection of All-Star player Andy Seminick. Wear on these, if any, is mostly confined to minor corner and edge wear, but see scans for further details including condition. We do not deal in stock images or modern reprints, and all scans shown are of the actual vintage photograph, slide or negative being sold. If you have any questions about a particular piece, please ask before the auction ends. BIO: George Robert Tebbetts was born in Burlington, VT and died in 1999 in Manatee, FL. He went to college at Providence College. He played major league baseball from 1936 to 1952 as catcher for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians, appeared in the 1940 World Series, and was selected 4 times as an All-Star. He went on to manage the Cincinnati Redlegs, Milwaukee Braves and Cleveland Indians. Tebbetts also earned a reputation for speaking his mind and for his frank assessments. About his career, he regarded himself as an ordinary player and manager who worked hard. Between other things, he said: "My whole world is wrapped up in baseball, and that means I must live the loneliest of lives. I can't discuss my problems with my friends or the newspapermen or the players or the coaches or my wife." "I was sold for a dollar by one drunk owner to another." "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." About the theory that catching was difficult, he expressed: "I don't think the physical part of catching is what it's cracked up to be. I think it's an easy job. The only thing about it is you sweat more than anybody else. Most catchers catch because they can't play anyplace else. They don't have much to complain about. They've got to be happy. There are too many catchers who are not good catchers who are showboating too much so that they can keep their job." When Tebbetts scouted for Cincinnati, in 1953, he filed such no-nonsense reports as this on a promising young pitcher: "Major league stuff and a great arm. Screwy in the head. Eliminate head and I recommend him. Get good surgeon." Finally, Tebbetts also offered his version of what makes a baseball manager successful: "If my players like me it's an accident of personality. I happen to like my players and I treat them like men. If a manager doesn't have confidence in his ball players, even when they're going badly, they're not going to have confidence in themselves. And when a ballplayer's confidence is gone, you haven't got a ballplayer. If you want to be a good manager, get good ballplayers" Richard William Bartell (Rowdy Richard or Shortwave) was born in 1907 in Chicago, IL and died in 1995 in Alameda, CA. He played major league baseball from 1927 to 1946 as infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, and the Detroit Tigers, appeared in the 1936, 1937 and 1940 World Series, and was selected in 1933 and 1937 as an All-Star. Bartell later managed and coached in the minor leagues for ten years. Thomas Jerome Ferrick was born in 1915 in New York, NY and died in 1996 in Lima, PA. He played major league baseball from 1941 to 1952 as pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns, Washington Senators, and the New York Yankees, and appeared in the 1950 World Series. Before embarking on a baseball career, Tom Ferrick spent time in a seminary preparing for the priesthood. He played in the minors from 1936 to 1938, then played semi-pro ball in 1939-1940. Ferrick enlisted in the Navy in December 1942 and was discharged in January 1946. After retiring as a player, he was a long time coach and scout. He was a Cincinnati Reds coach from 1954 to 1958 before spending 1959 on the Philadelphia Phillies staff. He was then with the Detroit Tigers from 1960 to 1963 and the Kansas City Athletics in 1964 and 1965. He later was a Kansas City Royals scout for over 20 years and was instrumental in the club's decision to draft George Brett. SKU: XP12762
Item: XP12762
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