[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.

[3][4] Although he lacked speed and did not hit for power, Tebbetts was an exceptional defensive catcher and intelligent player who capably directed his pitchers.

[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.

[2][6] 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 ended the season with a .261 batting average and led American League (AL) catchers in assists and in baserunners caught stealing.

[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.

[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.

[20][21] Tebbetts honed his managerial skills as a player-manager for the Waco Army Flying School's baseball team.

[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.

[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 was not decided until the final game of the season.

[35] After Tebbetts guided Indianapolis to a fourth-place finish in 1953, he was hired by Gabe Paul to replace Rogers Hornsby as the manager of the Cincinnati Reds.

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.

[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.

[45] Despite having talented players like Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Joe Adcock, Warren Spahn, and Lew Burdette, Tebbetts could manage only a fifth-place finish in 1962.

[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.

[54] Reggie Jackson credited Tebbetts' scouting reports for helping him hit three home runs in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series.