April 10, 1917 - Reading News-Times, PA - Birthday Article
THE READING NEWS-TIMES, April 10, 1917,
NATAL DAY OF "TOBASCO" KID NORMAN ELBERFELD
(41 Years Old Today)
Born April 10, 1876, at Mason City, W. Va.
Norman Elberfeld, who managed the New York Yanks the latter part of the 1908 season, is ranked among the best shorts stops in baseball. He also made good as a batter and he hit above the .300 mark in 1901 and 1906, with averages of .309 and .306, respectively. He started professional ball playing with the Richmond (Va.) team in 1897. Two years later he made his entrance into the major leagues as shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds. He played the two succeeding seasons with success and in 1901 he went to Detroit, when the American League established a team in that city.
His first season with the Tigers he batted .309, the highest he ever hit during his career. The beginning of 1904 found him with the. New York Americans, for whom he played shortstop regularly until the end of 1909, when he quit baseball. About the middle of 1908, after Clarke Griffith resigned as manager, Elberfeld took up the reins of the New York team. He did not make good as a leader, as the Yanks finished eighth that season. At the beginning of 1909 he was succeeded by George Stallings. Towards the close of that season he was released.
NOTE: Family notes list his birth as April 13, 1875 in Pomeroy, Ohio. This date is also listed on his death certificate. A search of WV vital records do not get any hits for any county. A search of Ohio records shows he was born April 13, 1875 in Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio.
