1908 - Injury ends playing season, becomes Highlander's manager
1908 Spalding's Base Ball Guide Published 1909- Elberfeld's batting average for New York is .196
March 13, 1908 - The Long Island farmer, NY - Yankees Lose First Game - Atlanta, Ga., March 13.—Griffith gave several pitchers on his staff a tryout in the first exhibition game of the season between the New York Highlanders and the Atlanta nine. Chesbro held the Georgians safe for three innings, when Neuer was sent to the box. The latter was hit hard in the fifth inning, when Atlanta put four runs over. Elberfeld was spiked in the sixth inning and retired in favor of Ball. The Highlanders lost the game by a score of 5 to 3.
March 14, 1908 - The New York Times - Atlanta, Ga., March 13. - Norman Elberfeld was obliged to lie off this afternoon on account of being spiked yesterday. The substitute, Ball, helped materially in winning the game from Atlanta.
April 30, 1908 -The Madrid Herald - Kid Elberfeld says Willie Keeler's return to condition is due to tramping over the Tennessee mountains with Elberfeld this spring.
*May 1, 1908 - In New York's 9-4 win over the Washington Nationals‚ Kid Elberfeld is severely spiked in the foot by Bob Ganley‚ essentially ending his season. He'll go to bat just 56 times this year.
May 1, 1908 - More Than Merkle: A History of the Best and Most Exciting Baseball Season in Human History - David W. Anderson - On May 1 ,Jack Chesbro pitched the Highlanders to a 9-4 win over Washington. But the win came at high price. Shortstop Kid Elberfeld's playing season ended when he was severely spiked by Bob Ganley on a tag play in the fifth inning. Elberfeld was carried from the field, his left shin cut to the bone and his calf muscle badly gashed. The fiery Elberfeld, who had provided strong leadership of the infield, missed a good part of the rest of the year. At the close of the day New York was still in first, but the loss of Elberfeld would be costly. His replacement, Neal Ball, was error prone, at a critical defensive position. Elberfeld did little better when he assumed the manager's job a month later.
May 2, 1908 - The New York Times - "Kid" Elberfeld Injured - Shortstop Spiked by Ganley While Covering Second Base - Elberfeld was put on the shelf in the fifth inning, when Ganley slid into him and cut the Kid's leg. He may be out of the game a week.
May 1908 - Where They Ain't: The Fabled Life and Ultimely Death of the Original Baltimore Orioles, the Team that Gave Birth to Modern Baseball - Burt Solomon - Kid Elberfeld, the combative shortstop - The Tabasco Kid, he was called, - got spiked in Early may and was finished for the season... Soon after Kid Elberfeld took charge, the Yankees slid into the cellar and never left. His hot temper was just the wrong way to bring out a ballplayer's best.
June 23, 1908 - Norwood news, NY - Shin Guards the Rage- The shin guard is to be the fashion again this summer among the big baseball men. Elberfeld and Niles of the New York Americans are to decorate their legs with the guards, wearing them under their stockings, of course. Elberfeld is always getting his legs into trouble, or, rather, he is always colliding with a base runner's spikes. This is because the kid is so aggressive that he will take all sorts of chances to get a runner stealing. Niles, too, has had. some sad experiences with spikes and believes the guards will prevent further injury. Shin guards properly adjusted will not be a drawback. Other athletes just as active as a ball player wear them.
June 26, 1908 - The New York Times - Elberfeld Is Manager
June 24, 1908 - Charging the Highlander owners with refusing to spend money to build the team‚ manager Clark Griffith resigns. His Highlanders are 24-32. Kid Elberfeld replaces him following today's 6-6 tie with the A's. New York fades fast and will finish last with 103 losses.
July 5, 1908 - The New York Times - Elberfeld Starts Row as Washington
July 11, 1908 - The Kingston Daily Freeman - The New York Highlanders have not improved under the management of "Kid" Elberfield. It is hard to believe that a team made up of so many star players could play such poor ball.
July 1908 - Seasons Past - Damon Rice, S. Arber, Ford Hovis - Farrell's and Devery's taking open control of the team signaled the beginning of a dismal era for the Yankees. Midway through the 1908 season the volume of second-guessing, needling, and interference reached a critical mass—Clark Griffith resigned in disgust. The owners then made Norman Arthur Elberfeld, the Tabasco Kid, the first of a long line of managerial scapegoats. The Kid quickly lived up to his nickname, alienating many of the players, including Hal Chase, who jumped the team and popped up weeks later as a member of the Stockton Club in the California State League. The Highlanders finished dead last, thirty- nine and a half games out.
For the 1909 season, Farrell and Devery coaxed their star first baseman back from California and hired George Stallings, who had managed in Detroit and Newark, as manager. Stallings, who was to become the miracle man of the Miracle Braves in 1914, could manage only parlor tricks with the Yankees. They finished fifth.
For the 1909 season, Farrell and Devery coaxed their star first baseman back from California and hired George Stallings, who had managed in Detroit and Newark, as manager. Stallings, who was to become the miracle man of the Miracle Braves in 1914, could manage only parlor tricks with the Yankees. They finished fifth.
Jul 25, 1908 - With the Highlanders leading the Tigers 3-2 in the 8th‚ Detroit scores 2 runs on a Ty Cobb triple. With lefty Claude Rossman the next hitter‚ New York's new manager '''Kid Elberfeld''' moves righty pitcher Jack Chesbro to 1B and replaces him with first baseman Hal Chase. Chase allows a fly ball that scores Cobb‚ then goes back to 1B and Chesbro resumes his spot on the mound. It is Chase's only pitching appearance as the Tigers win 5-3.
August 13, 1908 - Cy Young Day is celebrated by 20‚000 in Boston. He pitches briefly against an All-Star team that includes Jack Chesbro‚ Hal Chase‚ Willie Keeler‚ Harry Davis‚ and George Mullin. The game is interrupted several times for presentations to the great hurler‚ including a great loving cup from the AL for all his accomplishments. This is Keeler's last appearance this season‚ as he returns home to Brooklyn‚ partly in protest to Highlander manager '''Kid Elberfeld's''' surly managerial style (as stated in Jim Reiseler's book Before They Were Bombers)). Keeler quits without pay saying‚ "I cannot give you a run for your money"‚ He had been ill and muffed a flyball in left field‚ but he will return next season to play under manager George Stallings.
August 20, 1908 - The New York Times - Elberfeld is Banished
August 26, 1908 - The New York Times - Elberfeld Sill Manager - President Farrell Has Made No Change In Leadership of Yankees - The low standing of the Yankees in the American League race is not the only thing that their supporters have time to talk about nowadays, the question of a new leader for the team apparently being the uppermost topic...According to President Farrell, however, he has made no selection of a manager to succeed Elberfeld.
*September 11, 1908 - Chateaugay Record and Franklin County Democrat - Kid Elberfeld has not given the umpires umpires the least bit of trouble since he became a manager. He has behaved admirably.
October 26, 1908 - Plattsburg Press, NY - It would not be at all surprlsing if three new managers were seen in the American league next season. The clubs in question are New York, Chicago and Boston. George Stallings, who handled the Newark Eastern league team the past season, has been mentioned as manager of the New York Americans next year.. Stallings is a .hustler and with him at the helm the boys will have to move with some rapidity. Kid Elberfeld as leader of Players was a joke. His style wasjn't admired by his players, and as a result few gave him their best services. As a mmanager he has been a Dismal failure with a big D.
*November 12, 1908 - The Ogdensburg Journal - STALLINGS DISLIKES SIGNALS - New Manager of New York Americans After Disorganizers - New York, Nov. 11.—George T. Stallings says that when he takes hold of the New York Americans the "disorganizers" will go. This is taken to mean that Norman Elberfeld will play with some other team. "The best club I ever saw had mighty few signals," says Stallings, "while the poorest had a list of signals as long as a Marathon course."
