Roger Philip Bresnahan ( June 11 , 1879 -- December 4 , 1944 ) , nicknamed `` The Duke of Tralee '' for his Irish roots , was an American Major League Baseball player who played catcher and a player-manager . Roger Philip Bresnahan ( June 11 , 1879 -- December 4 , 1944 ) , nicknamed `` The Duke of Tralee '' for his Irish roots , was an American player in Major League Baseball who starred primarily as a catcher and a player-manager .