In fact, the very first real star of the Tigers was a shortstop: Kid Elberfeld. Back at the turn of the century, the nickname "Kid" usually went to a small, scrappy player. If the nickname were still used, for example, in recent years we might have had Kid Dykstra or Kid Stankewicz. Norman Arthur Elberfeld, or "The Tabasco Kid," as he was also called, personified the name. He stood 5'5" and weighed 135 pounds, and was generally consideded the most aggressive baserunner of the day. At the plate he was known for trying to get hit by pitches. In the field, he would hip check opposing players as they passed by second base.
But he was liked and respected off the field, and later in his career was one of the few veterans who would go out of his way to help a young player (in those competitive days, young players were usually viewed as little more than threats to job security by most older ballplayers). Elberfeld had played a few games for Philadelphia and Cincinnati in 1898-99, but spent 1900 in the minors. 1901, at age 26, was his first year as a regular. He turned in the best year of his career, leading the team in batting (.310); slugging (.429, very good for the times); OBP (.397), and RBI (76). He also stole 24 bases. The stats show him to have been a good defensive player, leading the league in putouts, double plays, and total chances per game (the last category being the best indicator of range available for most of these early ballplayers), although his fielding percentages were just average (Elberfeld would lead the league in chances per game again in 1903). Unfortunately, though Elberfeld may have been the Tigers' first "star", he was not destined to become the team's first great player. His performance at the plate fell off sharply in 1902 (.260/.335/.326). However, he got off to a fast start in 1903, hitting .341with an OBP over .400 through 35 games, when the Tigers rather inexplicably traded him to New York.
I say inexplicably, because the players the Tigers got in return were Ernie Courtney, a journeyman outfielder, and Herman Long, a fine shortstop in his day but 37 years old and in rapid decline by 1903. Long hit .222 as the Tigers shortstop over the rest of the year, Courtney played in just 23 games, and both were released at the end of the season. I don't know if there were other, i.e. personal or salary, reasons for trading Elberfeld, one of the best and most popular players on the team. In any case, you can chalk it up as perhaps the first really bad trade in Tigers history. Elberfeld played another nine years, seven as a regular, with the Yankees and Senators.
But he was liked and respected off the field, and later in his career was one of the few veterans who would go out of his way to help a young player (in those competitive days, young players were usually viewed as little more than threats to job security by most older ballplayers). Elberfeld had played a few games for Philadelphia and Cincinnati in 1898-99, but spent 1900 in the minors. 1901, at age 26, was his first year as a regular. He turned in the best year of his career, leading the team in batting (.310); slugging (.429, very good for the times); OBP (.397), and RBI (76). He also stole 24 bases. The stats show him to have been a good defensive player, leading the league in putouts, double plays, and total chances per game (the last category being the best indicator of range available for most of these early ballplayers), although his fielding percentages were just average (Elberfeld would lead the league in chances per game again in 1903). Unfortunately, though Elberfeld may have been the Tigers' first "star", he was not destined to become the team's first great player. His performance at the plate fell off sharply in 1902 (.260/.335/.326). However, he got off to a fast start in 1903, hitting .341with an OBP over .400 through 35 games, when the Tigers rather inexplicably traded him to New York.
I say inexplicably, because the players the Tigers got in return were Ernie Courtney, a journeyman outfielder, and Herman Long, a fine shortstop in his day but 37 years old and in rapid decline by 1903. Long hit .222 as the Tigers shortstop over the rest of the year, Courtney played in just 23 games, and both were released at the end of the season. I don't know if there were other, i.e. personal or salary, reasons for trading Elberfeld, one of the best and most popular players on the team. In any case, you can chalk it up as perhaps the first really bad trade in Tigers history. Elberfeld played another nine years, seven as a regular, with the Yankees and Senators.
In fact, young players were usually viewed as little more than threats to job security by most older ballplayers). Elberfeld had played a few games for Philadelphia and Cincinnati in 1898-99, but spent 1900 in the minors. 1901, at age 26, was his first year as a regular. He turned in the best year of his career, leading the team in batting (.310); slugging (.429, very good for the times); OBP (.397), and RBI (76). He also stole 24 bases. The stats show him to have been a good defensive player, leading the league in putouts, double plays, and total chances per game (the last category being the best indicator of range available for most of these early ballplayers), although his fielding percentages were just average (Elberfeld would lead the league in chances per game again in 1903).
'''PEAK VALUE'''
1. Alan Trammell
2. Donie Bush
3. Harvey Kuenn
4. Dick McAuliffe
5. Kid Elberfeld
I'll defend those selections vigorously. You could choose Fryman on the peak value list, but he really only played one full season as the regular shortstop, and I tend to think of peak value as a 2-3 year time period. Of course, this cuts against '''Elberfeld,''' who played just 2 1/3 seasons for Detroit, and was only really good in 1901 and before being traded in 1903: his 1902 year was not so good. But I picked him in part to get another oldster in there, what the heck.
'''PEAK VALUE'''
1. Alan Trammell
2. Donie Bush
3. Harvey Kuenn
4. Dick McAuliffe
5. Kid Elberfeld
I'll defend those selections vigorously. You could choose Fryman on the peak value list, but he really only played one full season as the regular shortstop, and I tend to think of peak value as a 2-3 year time period. Of course, this cuts against '''Elberfeld,''' who played just 2 1/3 seasons for Detroit, and was only really good in 1901 and before being traded in 1903: his 1902 year was not so good. But I picked him in part to get another oldster in there, what the heck.
