1902 - Kid Elberfeld's Time Line
1902 - Spalding Official Base Ball Guide (Published 1903) - Elberfeld's batting average for Detroit in the American League is listed as 265
January 24, 1902 - Geneva daily times, NY - Frank J. Dwyer, manager of the Detroit American league team, returned yesterday from a western trip made in the interest of his team. Dwyer has practically selected his line-up. He said today, however, that he has two or three men now under consideration who may be added to the present personnel. Mr. Dwyer gave the official line-up to the TIMES this morning as follows: Catchers: Bulah and McAllister; pitchers, Seivers, Mullin, .Miller and Yaeger: 1 base, Dillon: 2 base. Gleason; 3 base, Casey; short, Elberfield : left field, Harley; center field. Barrett; right field, Holmes. The team is considered one of the strongest recently organized, and Mr. Dwyer hopes it will win first place in the league. The team will begin practice at Ypsilanti, Mich., Apiil 23. ;
March 2, 1902 - The Saint Louis Republic, MS - Norman Elberfeld, the Detroit shortstop, who was coveted by several National league team last year, is wintering in the south.
May 8, 1902 - The Saint Louis Republic MS - Elberfeld made the bright particular play of the game in the fourth innin, when John Anderson hit one of Miller's straight ones an awful swipe. The ball was near to second base, bu Elberfeld knocked it down and then picked it up almost in one movement and got his man at first.
March 9, 1902 - The Saint Paul Globe, MN - Norman Elberfeld has wintered at Albjon View, Tenn., and in a letter to Frank Dwyer he says: "I've chopped enough wood this winter to burn down you old town. I ought to bat over .500 after the work I've done here."
May 20, 1902 - Chicago Daily Tribune, IL - Elberfeld sulked like a spoiled baby the first time at bat. Johnstone callled a strike on him, for what appeared to be an attempt to bunt, although the ball went back of the catcher. He threw down his bat and yelled at Captain Casey: "You can send some one else in my place; I won't." Such action by a home player would have drawn derision from the crowd almost anywhere else, but the Detroit fans cheered their pet to the echo.
June 22, 1902 - Boston Post MA - Elberfeld was put out of the game for kicking.
June 24, 1902 - Chicago Daily Tribune IL - Siever was put in to pitch, with McAllister playing short, as Elberfeld is suffering from a sore arm, the result of getting hit in the ninth inning of Saturday's game.
July 2, 1902 - Elberfeld, 4 singles - Reach's Official American League Guide - 1902 - Individual Batting Feats
July 3, 1902 - The Washington Post - Baseball Notes - Elberfeld is out of the Detroit game by reason of rheumatic pains.
July 28, 1902 - The Scranton Republican - Director Billings, of the Boston Nationals, has been hot after Elberfeld. of the Detroits, and wrote to him asking to name a place for an interview. Elberfeld turned the letter over to his manager.
July 28, 1902 - The Inter Ocean - Chicago, IL - John McGraw was in Washington last week trying to get Elberfeld of the Detroit club to jump, offering him $800 more than he will receive from Detroit this season. But "Muggsy" was turned down.
July 31, 1902 - Chicago Daily Tribune - "it looks to me," continued (Ban Johnson), "as if the National league was trying to stampede some of the players by a monumental bluff. I cannot understand their talk of having so many of our players signed any other way. They claim Elberfeld and Barrett of Detroit. I happen to know that both players are signed for next year by the Detroit club. We may lose a few like Miller, but he can be prevented from playing with New York if the Detroit club so wishes. His contract will hold, as it has no ten days' clause in it. Many of our players are signed to the same kind of contract, especially the long time contracts. These are mutual in every way and wll hold in any court in the land."
August 3, 1902 - Elberfeld, two singles, two doubles. Reach's Official American League Guide - 1902 - Individual Batting Feats
August 4, 1902 - The Washington Times DC - Tigers Win Again - Elberfeld's Hitting Responsible for Boston's Defeat - Detroit, Aug 3 - Elberfeld's hitting was the feature, as he twice cleared the left field fence. [These were rated as doubles!]
August 4, 1902 - Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan) - Elberfeld Will Remain in Detroit
August 11, 1902 - The Washington Times DC - Elberfeld made some insulting remarks to Umpire Connolly in the first inning and was put out of the grounds
August 12, 1902 - The Saint Paul Globe, MN - Shortstop Elberfeld,of the Detroit team, signed with Detroit for 1903.
August 25, 1902 - The Evening World, NYC, NY - Elberfeld Signed by Giants
August 28, 1902 - The Cincinnati Enquirer OH - Norman Elberfeld denies that he will go to New York, and repudiates the agreement which he made with Manager McGraw. The Bond Hill boy declares: "I talked to McGraw because I was a little discouraged at the way things were breaking against the team and against myself. The outlook wasn't very bright, and it had its effect on me.:
September 1, 1902 - The Evening Times - Washington, DC - A Chicago player is authority for the statement the Buelow and Barrett, beside Elberfeld, will not be with the American League next year. He added, "The reason why some Detroit men are not playing good ball is very plain. No one knows whether he is to be signed or not and when men are up in the air over that question they don;t play winning ball."
September 7, 1902 - The Inter Ocean - Chicago, IL - Manager Dwyer of the Detroits declares positively that Elberfeld and Barrett have signed with him for next season, McGraw says he has their contracts for New York. Take your choice.
September 7, 1902 - The Saint Pail Globe, MN - Elberfeld's field was the feature of this game. He made several marvelous stops and throws.
September 19, 1902 - The St. Louis Republic MS - Elberfeld had a great day in the field. With the exception of Yeager, none of the Detroit outfielders had any chances, and the work on the infield men was hard, considering the condition of the field. Elberfeld for many a hard-bounding ball and covered his field nicely.