Career
A pitcher, Birkbeck played for the Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, and the Yokohama BayStars of the Nippon Professional Baseball league. In 1986, Birkbeck became the second ever former University of Akron baseball player to reach Major League Baseball. The only other to date was Jack DiLauro, who reached the major leagues in 1969.
Birkbeck is currently an associate baseball head coach at Kent State University.