Roger Bresnahan

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Good article Template:Infobox baseball biography Roger Philip Bresnahan (June 11, 1879 – December 4, 1944), nicknamed "the Duke of Tralee", was an American baseball player and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a major-league player, Bresnahan competed for the Washington Senators (1897), Chicago Orphans (1900), Baltimore Orioles (1901–02), New York Giants (1902–1908), St. Louis Cardinals (1909–1912) and Chicago Cubs (1913–1915). Bresnahan also managed the Cardinals (1909–1912) and Cubs (1915). He was a member of the 1905 World Series champions.

Bresnahan began his career as a pitcher. He also served as an outfielder, before becoming a regular catcher. For his major-league career, Bresnahan had a .279 batting average in 4,480 at bats and a 328–432 managerial win–loss record. Bresnahan popularized the use of protective equipment in baseball by introducing shin guards, to be worn by catchers, in 1907.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> He also developed the first batting helmet.

After retiring as a player, Bresnahan remained active in professional baseball. He owned the minor league Toledo Mud Hens and coached for the Giants and Detroit Tigers. In 1945, Bresnahan was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.<ref>His Hall of Fame plaque states, in part: "He was one of the game's most natural players and might have starred at any position. [He] was one of the few major league catchers fast enough to be used as a leadoff man." Appel, Marty. A Second Look at Hall of Famer Roger Bresnahan. Memories and Dreams (Vol. 33, No. 6; Winter 2011[-2012], p. 39). National Baseball Hall of Fame official magazine.</ref>

Early life

Roger Philip Bresnahan was born on June 11, 1879, in Toledo, Ohio. He was the seventh child of Michael and Mary Bresnahan, who had immigrated to the United States from Tralee, Ireland. Bresnahan used to claim that he was also from Tralee, and early in his life, he earned the nickname "The Duke of Tralee".<ref name=ghost>Template:Cite book</ref>

Bresnahan began playing baseball in grade school, becoming one of the best known sandlot baseball players.<ref name=ghost33/> He continued to play baseball at Toledo's Central High School.<ref name=sabr>Template:Cite web</ref>

At 16, Bresnahan signed with a semi-professional team from Manistee, Michigan. After he graduated high school, Bresnahan signed with Lima of the Ohio State League, where he played primarily as a pitcher, but also as a catcher in 1895 and 1896.<ref name=ghost33/><ref name=sabr/>

Major-league career

Washington Senators (1897)

File:Roger Bresnahan, Toledo Baseball Club - DPLA - bdd6e44d3b8911bed6ed4bdb49a10aaa (page 1).jpg

Bresnahan with Toledo, date unknown

On August 10, 1897, the Washington Senators of the National League (NL) purchased Bresnahan from Lima. He began his major-league career as a pitcher, throwing a six-hit shutout in his debut against the St. Louis Browns on August 27, 1897, recording three strikeouts and walking two batters.<ref name=ghost33/><ref name=sabr/> He had six hits in 16 at bats (a .375 batting average) and had a 4–0 win–loss record for the 1897 Senators. However, the Senators released Bresnahan after the season over a salary dispute, when he attempted to hold out for more money.<ref name=sabr/><ref name=irish136/> The Senators offered Bresnahan $2,000 ($Template:Inflation in current dollar terms), but Bresnahan wanted $2,400 ($Template:Inflation in current dollar terms).<ref name=ghost34>Fleitz, Ghosts in the Gallery at Cooperstown, p. 34</ref>

Bresnahan played for the Toledo Mud Hens of the Interstate League and the Minneapolis Millers of the Western League in 1898, and the Millers and Buffalo Bisons of the Western League in 1899.

Chicago Orphans (1900)

Bresnahan appeared in two games at catcher for the Chicago Orphans of the NL in 1900, which served as a tryout.<ref name=sabr/><ref name=irish136/>

With the formation of the American League (AL) as a competitor to the NL, Bresnahan, among others, jumped to the AL from the NL.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> John McGraw, manager of the Baltimore Orioles of the AL saw Bresnahan pitch for Chicago, and decided to sign him for the Orioles before the 1901 season. For the Orioles, Bresnahan filled in at catcher behind Wilbert Robinson, and also appeared in the outfield. A faster baserunner than the average catcher, Bresnahan had two inside-the-park home runs on May 30, 1902.<ref name=ghost34/>

New York Giants (1902–1908)

With the Orioles reportedly in significant debt, part-owner John Mahon purchased shares of the team from star players Joe Kelley and John McGraw, who had resigned from the team and signed with the New York Giants of the NL, becoming the majority shareholder. On July 17, 1902, he sold his interest in the Orioles to Andrew Freedman, principal owner of the Giants, and John T. Brush, principal owner of the Cincinnati Reds, also of the NL. That day, Freedman and Brush released Bresnahan, Kelley, Joe McGinnity, Jack Cronin, Cy Seymour, and Dan McGann from their contracts. Brush then signed Kelley and Seymour to the Reds, while Freedman signed McGinnity, Bresnahan, Cronin, Gilbert, and McGann, joining McGraw, his new player-manager, on the Giants.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:New York Giants team picture.jpg

Bresnahan (third from right) with the New York Giants before playing in the 1905 World Series

With Frank Bowerman and Jack Warner established as the Giants' catchers, McGraw played Bresnahan as the center fielder for the Giants.<ref name=ghost34/> In 1903, Bresnahan batted .350, trailing Honus Wagner's .355 average atop the NL.<ref name=ghost34/> Bresnahan batted .284 in the 1904 season, playing 96 games in the outfield, ten games at first base, four games at shortstop, and one game apiece at second base and third base, as the Giants were champions of the NL.<ref name=ghost35>Fleitz, Ghosts in the Gallery at Cooperstown, p. 35</ref>

Bresnahan shifted to catcher full-time in 1905, as Bowerman became less effective and Warner left the Giants.<ref name=sabr/> Christy Mathewson preferred pitching to Bresnahan.<ref name=ghost35/> Bresnahan caught all five games in the 1905 World Series, including three shutouts by Mathewson, and one shutout thrown by Joe McGinnity.<ref name=ghost36>Fleitz, Ghosts in the Gallery at Cooperstown, p. 36</ref> Bresnahan led the Giants with a .313 batting average in the World Series.<ref name=ghost36/>

File:Roger Bresnahan catching at a York Giants (NL) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) baseball game in 1908 with an umpire and batter (cropped).jpg

Roger Bresnahan catching at a York Giants vs. Pittsburgh Pirates game in 1908

On Opening Day in 1907, Bresnahan began to experiment with protective gear. Though Negro league catcher Chappie Johnson wore protective gear and Nig Clarke wore similar gear in 1905, most catchers did not wear any protective equipment at that time.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Bresnahan practiced in shin guards that are worn in cricket during spring training, and debuted them on April 11, 1907.<ref name=ghost3738>Fleitz, Ghosts in the Gallery at Cooperstown, pp. 37–38</ref> Fans, used to seeing catchers play without protective equipment, threw snowballs on the field, and without police at the game, umpire Bill Klem called off the game, with the Giants forfeiting to the Philadelphia Phillies. The press also criticized the use of shin guards. However, other catchers began to adopt Bresnahan's idea.<ref name=ghost38>Fleitz, Ghosts in the Gallery at Cooperstown, p. 38</ref> Though Pittsburgh Pirates manager Fred Clarke protested Bresnahan's gear to the league, the protest was denied and the equipment was approved. Bresnahan caught a career-high 138 games in 1908, batting .283 and leading the NL in walks.<ref name=ghost38/><ref name=ghost39>Fleitz, Ghosts in the Gallery at Cooperstown, p. 39</ref>

Bresnahan also developed the first batting helmet. He was hit in the head with a pitch by Andy Coakley of the Cincinnati Reds on June 18, 1907.<ref name=ghost38/> Bresnahan was unconscious, and a Catholic priest read him his last rites.<ref name=ghost38/> Bresnahan was hospitalized for ten days, during which time he developed schematics for a plastic batting helmet, though this piece of equipment did not become commonplace until the 1940s.<ref name=ghost39 /> Bresnahan was also the first catcher to wear a padded facemask while catching.<ref name=ghost38/>

Managerial career

St. Louis Cardinals (1909–1912)

File:Roger Bresnahan, St. Louis, NL, Miller Huggins in background (baseball) (LOC).jpg

Miller Huggins (left) and Bresnahan with the Cardinals, Template:Circa 1911

File:1911 St. Louis Cardinals at Bridgeport train wreck.jpg

Members of the 1911 Cardinals at the site of the Bridgeport train wreck; Bresnahan is at front-right, seated

The Giants obtained younger and faster players in 1909; McGraw had Chief Meyers ready to succeed Bresnahan at catcher.<ref name=ghost39/> Stanley Robison of the St. Louis Cardinals became interested in hiring Bresnahan to be a player-manager. As McGraw did not want to block Bresnahan from the opportunity, the Giants traded Bresnahan to the Cardinals for Red Murray, Bugs Raymond and Admiral Schlei after the 1908 season.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bresnahan led the Cardinals, who won only 49 games in 1908, to 54 wins in 1909 and 63 wins in 1910.<ref name=ghost39/> Attendance increased from 205,000 fans in 1908 to 299,000 fans in 1909, and 355,000 fans in 1910.<ref name=ghost40/>

Grateful for the improvement at the box office, Robison signed Bresnahan to a five-year contract to manage the team for a salary of $10,000 per season ($Template:Inflation in current dollar terms), plus ten percent of the club's profits.<ref name=sabr/> Robison died in March 1911, and ownership of the team transferred to Helene Hathaway Britton, his niece.<ref name=sabr/>

On July 11, 1911, with the Cardinals only 4.5 games out of first place,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the team was involved in a train wreck while riding the Federal Express to Boston. Fourteen people were killed after the train derailed and plunged down an Template:Convert embankment outside Bridgeport, Connecticut. None of the Cardinals were seriously injured, due to a fortuitous change in the location of their two Pullman cars, requested by Bresnahan. The Cardinals helped rescue the injured and remove bodies.<ref name="trainwreck">Tuesday, July 11 from BaseballLibrary.com</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Bresnahan and Britton feuded publicly in 1912, as the Cardinals fell to sixth place in the NL. The Cardinals fired Bresnahan after the 1912 season due to various arguments Bresnahan had with Britton, including over Bresnahan's desire to sell Miller Huggins to another franchise.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Britton cited decreased profits as a sign that Bresnahan was uninterested in the job.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Huggins succeeded Bresnahan as Cardinals' manager, as she preferred Huggins' "gentlemanly" manner, as opposed to Bresnahan's rougher personality.<ref name=koppett84>Template:Cite book</ref> Bresnahan hired an attorney to obtain the remainder of his salary.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He eventually settled the lawsuit against Britton for $20,000 ($Template:Inflation in current dollar terms).<ref name=sabr/>

Chicago Cubs (1913–1915)

Following his termination by the Cardinals, the NL declared Bresnahan a free agent. He signed a three-year contract with the Cubs, receiving $10,000 ($Template:Inflation in current dollar terms) per season with a $25,000 signing bonus ($Template:Inflation in current dollar terms).<ref name=sabr/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He served as player-manager for the Cubs in 1915, but was released when his batting average slipped.<ref name=sabr/>

Later career

As the rival Federal League collapsed and the Cubs merged with the Chicago Whales of the Federal League, the Cubs decided to replace Bresnahan with Whales manager Joe Tinker.<ref name=tinker>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Cubs paid Bresnahan for the remaining two years on his contract<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and aided Bresnahan in purchasing the Toledo Mud Hens, then in the American Association, in 1916.<ref name=tinker/><ref name=sheriff>Template:Cite news</ref> The club had moved to Cleveland to block the Federal League from placing a team there, but returned to Toledo under Bresnahan's control.<ref name=tinker/> Bresnahan played for the team until 1918, when he announced his retirement.<ref name=semi/> He played for a semi-professional team in 1919,<ref name=semi>Template:Cite news</ref> and appeared in five games for the Mud Hens in 1921.<ref name=sabr/> Bresnahan worked to add lights to Toledo's stadium, so that they could play night games.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Bresnahan sold the Mud Hens before the 1924 season.<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Subscription required</ref> McGraw then hired Bresnahan as a coach for the Giants, a position he held from 1925 through 1928. He coached for the Detroit Tigers in 1930 and 1931.<ref name=sabr/>

Post-baseball career

During the offseasons, Bresnahan returned to Toledo. He worked as a hotel detective at the Boody House, which he later purchased.<ref name=ghost35/> Bresnahan lost much of his money in the stock market crash of 1929. He worked as a manual laborer, as a guard at the Toledo Workhouse, and as a salesman for Toledo's Buckeye Brewing Company.<ref name=sabr/>

Bresnahan ran for sheriff of Lucas County as a member of the Democratic Party in 1932.<ref name=sheriff/> He lost, and endorsed the victorious candidate in his reelection bid two years later.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bresnahan ran for county commissioner in 1944, winning the Democratic Party nomination, but losing in the general election by a few hundred votes out of 140,000 votes cast.<ref name=sabr/><ref name=ghost44>Fleitz, Ghosts in the Gallery at Cooperstown, p. 44</ref>

Bresnahan died of a heart attack at his home in Toledo on December 4, 1944, at the age of 65. He was survived by his wife, Gertrude, and his daughter, Marian.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Toledo.<ref name=ghost44/>

Profile and legacy

File:Out at Home print.jpg

Bresnahan tagging out a runner while Christy Mathewson and John McGraw watch in Out at Home, by Fletcher C. Ransom

In 1,446 games, he had a batting average of .279 with 26 home runs and 530 runs batted in in 4,480 at-bats. His overall managerial record was Template:Winpct. Miller Huggins named Bresnahan the catcher on his all-time team.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Bresnahan stood approximately Template:Convert.<ref name=ghost33/> He was described as "highly strung and almost abnormally emotional" by a reporter.<ref name=irish136>Template:Cite book</ref> Bill James wrote that Bresnahan "was one of those guys that if you were on his team and played hard he was as nice to you as could be, but if you got on his bad side you'd think he was the Breath of Hell."<ref name=ghost36/>

Bresnahan was known for baiting umpires. He and McGraw were often ejected from games, suspended, and on a few occasions escorted from the field by police.<ref name=ghost36/> A 1911 directive by NL president Thomas Lynch, compelling umpires to prevent catchers from antagonizing batters with verbal abuse, mentioned only Bresnahan by name.<ref name=ghost40>Fleitz, Ghosts in the Gallery at Cooperstown, p. 40</ref>

Bresnahan was elected to the Hall of Fame the year after his death. He had received 47 votes of the 226 electors in the 1936 Hall of Fame balloting, and between 43 and 67 votes each time from 1937 through 1942.<ref name=ghost32>Fleitz, Ghosts in the Gallery at Cooperstown, p. 32</ref> In the 1945 balloting, occurring one month after Bresnahan's death, he received 133 votes, still falling short of enshrinement. However, the Permanent Committee noticed the surge in votes and elected him in April 1945.<ref name=ghost33>Fleitz, Ghosts in the Gallery at Cooperstown, p. 33</ref>

Regarding his Hall of Fame induction, James has criticized the election, saying that Bresnahan "wandered in the Hall of Fame on a series of miscalculations", and regarding his election, that "the Hall of Fame had, for the first time, selected a player who clearly had no damn business being there".<ref name=ghost44/>

Commemorations

Bresnahan was mentioned in the 1949 poem "Line-Up for Yesterday" by Ogden Nash: Template:Quote box Template:Quote box Template:Clear

See also

• List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
• List of Major League Baseball player-managers

References

Bibliography

• Template:Cite news

External links

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