1911 - Washington
*January 07, 1911 - The Ogdensburg journal - Only four of the Washington Americans are sure of their jobs. Walter Johnson cannot be ousted from his position as the club's bright particular star unless he breaks an arm or a leg. The others who will form the nucleus around which the club is to be built up are infielders George McBride and Norman Elberfeld and Catcher Ainsmith. Elberfeld is more popular with the Washington fans and with Manager McAleer than he has been with any baseball populace since he broke into the game. McAleer has by some hocuspocus or other tamed the fiery, untamed spirit of old resin-foot, and has him working in perfect harmony with the other members of the team.
January 27, 1911 - The Ogdensburg journal. (Ogdensburg, N.Y.) - Kid Elberfeld hasn't signed his contract with Washington yet. The Tobasco Kid always was a holdout when the frost was on the pumpkin. But whether he will see it.in this light when the season opens and the crowds begin to flock to the ball parks is a matter of conjecture among the fans of Washington. It is a safe bet that he will be at the hot corner next year when the umps yell "Play ball."
February 04, 1911 - The Ogdensburg journal - Kid Elberfeld, third baseman of the Washington team, expects to le4ad the league at this position the coming year. Elberfeld has invented a new sort of shin guard which he will wear under his stockings. He says that it will be absolutely impossible for him to be spiked while equipped with his new armor. The "Kid" claims that hard luck in the line of injuries has kept him back every season for the last five years.
*March 04, 1911 - The Ogdensburg Journal, NY - Kid Elberfeld is in earnest about becoming an umpire when his playing days are over. He has made application to Ban B. Johnson for a position and Ban, it is understood, has given Elberfeld his promise to give the matte r his careful consideration. Kid Elberfeld stepping on a playing field as an umpire would not cause a bigger sensation than Uncle Joe Cannon making a. long and earnest speech against the Payne tariff bill.
March 18, 1911 - The Ogdensburg journal, NY - Kid Elberfeld startled the natives of Atlanta, Ga., a few days ago while warming up with Jack Lelivelt. He tossed a half dozen balls with his right wing and then remarked, "That old arm feels pretty good. Guess I'll try the other." And switching his glove he started to heave the ball from the south side, using practically the same free, easy swing.
March 22, 1911 - Evening Post (Frederick, Maryland) - BASEBALL NOTES - "Kid" Elberfeld, of the Washington infielder, says that he intends to raise carnations when his ball playing days are over. It wasn't carnations that he used to raise with the umpires.
March 25, 1911 - The Ogdensburg journal, NY - Here is Kid Elberfeld's advice to young third sackers: Learn every movement and characteristic of opponents; cultivate accuracy in judging runner's speed; learn to time your throws; don't try to play the whole game yourself; cultivate speed and accuracy in throwing to bases; listen to every word of advice from older players; don't practice excesses of any form; let drink alone; keep away from the "bright lights"; be regular in your habits; practice base ball all you can.
March 31, 1911 - The Ogdensburg journal - Veteran Player to Attempt Great Feat
April 15, 1911 - The Ogdensburg journal -
May 9, 1911 - The Ogdensburg Journal, NY - Kid Elberfeld says he is only 34, but a Washington writer declares on oath that he saw the Kid playing semi-pro ball twenty-five years ago. If true it sets Elberfeld's entry into the game at 9 years of age. It has always been in the record that he began at the mature age of 11. (NOTE: Kid Elberfeld was born April 13, 1875, so he was 36 when this article appeared.)
June 2, 1911 - The Washington Times (Washington, D.C.) - Conroy to Remain on Third When Elberfeld Returns to the Washington Line-Up
McAleer Plans to Keep Him There in Place of Kid Elberfeld
“Wild” Conroy, put on third base as a substitute when Kid Elberfeld sprained his ankle in Cleveland, is fast making a place for himself at the third corner and Jimmy McAleer, manager of the Nationals, plans to keep him there, even after Elberfeld is able to play once more. When Elberfeld is right again he will have to play second base instead of third, and lately Bill Cunningham’s long drives for extra sacks has made it even more difficult for the little fellow to find a place open for him.
McAleer Plans to Keep Him There in Place of Kid Elberfeld
“Wild” Conroy, put on third base as a substitute when Kid Elberfeld sprained his ankle in Cleveland, is fast making a place for himself at the third corner and Jimmy McAleer, manager of the Nationals, plans to keep him there, even after Elberfeld is able to play once more. When Elberfeld is right again he will have to play second base instead of third, and lately Bill Cunningham’s long drives for extra sacks has made it even more difficult for the little fellow to find a place open for him.
July 4, 1911 - The New York Times - Elberfeld Overcome by Heat
July 21, 1911 - The Ogdensburg journal, NY - "Watch George McBride day after day, and you can't help coming to the conclusion that next to Wagner he is the best shortstop in the world," says Elberfeld, of the Nationals. "The trouble about playing on a second division team is that no matter how brilliantly a fielder may perform he gets little or no credit outside the select circle of his own team mates. But you keep your eyes on McBride game after game; see the ground he covers; ob serve the way he handles an ugly bounder; note the way he gets the ball to first. I've seen 'em come and go these many years, but I'll go on record as saying, that with the single exception of Wagner, Mac never had a superior; no, not even Donie Bush or Bobby Wallace when they were at their best.''
August 3, 1911 - from January 18, 1915 -Reno Evening Gazette (Reno, Nevada) - Chicago White Sox in Washington - In the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh there were four double plays and one man cut down at the plate, a marvelous stop by Zeider, one of the greatest stops and throws I ever saw by which Kid Elberfeld cut off a base hit and nailed Zeider at the plate.
September 08, 1911 - The Ogdensburg journal, NY - Manager James McAl'eer has concluded that the only way to produce a wiinning team to represent Washington is to weed out the oldsters and supplant them with young bloods. It looks new as if Elberfeld, Conroy, Schaefer and other vets will not wear Senatorial uniforms after this season.. McAleer has picked up several promising youngsters and is on the lookout for others.
September 21, 1911 - The Madrid herald, NY - According to Washington critics this Is the last year in the big league for Kid Elberfeld and "Wid" Conroy of the Senators.
September 22, 1911 - The New York Times - How All-Stars Will Line Up - Chicago, Sept. 212. - The All-star team chosen by James McAleer to play the Philadelphia American League Club, the world's champions, prior to the probable struggle with the qualifier from the National League include for members of the Chicago team, five from Washington, one from New York, one from Boston, and one from Detroit, American League Teams. The batting order, and announced to-day, follows: Milan, cf.; Lord, 3b.; Speaker, rf.; Cobb, lf.; Elberfeld, 2b; McBride, ss.; Chase, 1b.; Sullivan and Street, c.; Walsh, White and Johnson, p.
*November 22, 1911 - The Ogdensburg Journal - Norman Elberfeld has bought a large farm near Chattanooga and will make this his home. Elberfeld was born at Lyons View, a village in the mountains near Chattanooga, and is returning to
his old haunts. [NOTE: Norman Elberfeld was born in Pomeroy, Ohio]
his old haunts. [NOTE: Norman Elberfeld was born in Pomeroy, Ohio]
December 15, 1911 - The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, Maryland) - Baltimore Interested in Elberfeld
December 19, 1911 - Vancouver Daily World, BC - Kid Elberfeld to Chicago
December 19, 1911 - The Ogdensburg journal, NY - Two years ago the New York Americans, sold Noorman Elberfeld to the Washington club for $5,000. The other day, as no major league wanted his services, the little third baseman was turned over to the Chattanooga club for $1,500. One by one the base ball stars fade away.
December 29, 1911 - Sheboygan Press (Sheboygan, Wisconsin) - "What will become of Kid Elberfeld now that Clark Griffith has been made manager of the Washington club?" asks a critic. He might go a little further and inquire, "What will become of the whole team?"
