Billings was drafted out of Michigan State University by the Washington Senators in the 25th round of the 1965 Major League Baseball draft. He played as an outfielder and occasional third baseman in the Senators\' minor league system for four years before making his major league debut at the age of 25 as a pinch hitter on September 11, 1968. Billings had his first appearance as a starting player on September 20, 1968 as a left fielder in a game against the Detroit Tigers.\n', '

Billings began the 1969 season with the Senators but in June returned to the minor leagues and was turned into a catcher. In 1970, he posted a .305 batting average with 15 home runs and 67 runs batted in while playing for the Denver Bears. His performance earned him a late-season return to the major leagues in September 1970, where he served as a backup catcher behind Paul Casanova.\n', '

Billings won the starting catcher\'s job in July 1971 when Senators manager Ted Williams benched Casanova for weak hitting. Although he led American League catchers with 16 passed balls, he ended the season with a career-high .992 fielding percentage in 116 games. In 1972 the Senators relocated to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and were renamed the Texas Rangers. Billings started the season in a platoon role alongside left-hand hitting catcher Hal King. King was sent to the minor leagues in July and Billings eventually played in a career-high 133 games. He also posted career-highs with a .254 batting average, 15 doubles, 5 home runs, and 68 runs batted in. On August 13, 1972, Billings produced 5 runs batted in on 4 hits in a 13-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals.\n', '

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