Metkovich stood 6'1" (185 cm) tall, weighed 185 pounds (84 kg), and batted and threw left-handed. He helped the Red Sox win the 1946American League pennant as the team's semi-regular right fielder. He appeared as a pinch hitter twice in the 1946 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. After flying out against Red Munger in Game 4, Metkovich's pinch double off Murry Dickson in the eighth inning of Game 7 helped the Red Sox come back from a 3–1 deficit. He scored the tying run on a double by Dom DiMaggio.[2] But in the bottom of the same inning, the Cardinals broke the 3–3 tie on Enos Slaughter's "mad dash" to win the game and the world championship.
Metkovich's early career was spent in the American League, but his career peak came in the National League of the early 1950s. He finished 38th in voting for the 1952 National League Most Valuable Player, playing in 125 games and batting .271 with 101 hits, 7 home runs, and 41 RBIs. In his 10 MLB seasons he played in 1055 games, batting .261 with 934 hits, 47 home runs, and 373 RBIs.
Metkovich's playing career spanned 19 years (1939–57). He managed the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League from May 16, 1957, through July 23, 1960, posting three winning records. He also briefly scouted for the expansionWashington Senators in the early 1960s.
Metkovich appeared in several Hollywood movies between 1949 and 1952.[3] In "Three Little Words (1950)", he performed in several slapstick comedy scenes with Red Skelton.