Baseball in Richmond By Ron Pomfrey
Baseball in Richmond By Ron Pomfrey
|
Kid Elberfeld - Detroit Uniform
|
NORMAN "THE TABASCO KID" ELBERFELD
Manager Jake Wells of the Johnnie Rebs brought in infielder Elberfeld from Cincinnati in 1897. Being small in stature (only 5 feet, 5 inches), Elberfeld made up for lack of height with his challenging style of play. It is said that he would dare opposing players to come in with their spikes high, and when he occasionally got cut by the opposing player, Elberfeld poured whiskey on his spike wounds to cauterize the wounds. The true sparkplug of the Johnnie Rebs, Kid was often the leadoff batter and played all the infield positions, even catching an occasional game. Kid adorned the ballyards of six different major-league teams during his 14-year career. He served a brief stint as manager of the New York Highlanders in 1908.
'''THE JOHNNIE REBS OF 1897.''' Joining a much stronger Atlantic League for the 1897 season, the Richmond Baseball Club started out as Bluebirds and ended up as Giants. For the majority of the season, they were known as the Johnnie Rebs. Jake Wells captained the ship, with Barley Kain patrolling right field and Red Foster a holdover as catcher, while Stuart, McDonald, and Hargrove handled things up the center of the garden. The heart of the Johnnie Rebs, however, was pumped by three future major-leaguers, Jack Chesbro, Sam Leever, and Norman Elberfeld. Chesbro's star was just beginning to shine, but he showed glimpses of his future Hall of Fame credentials, winning 16 games. Leever, a starboard slinger, honed his pitching skills, which led to a 12-year stay with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Elberfeld, the kid of the group, manned the hot corner at third base and became legendary for his feisty, firebrand style of play. Manager Wells was quoted in the Richmond Dispatch: "I want to assure the people that the team's trouble on the recent road trip was caused by lack of hitting, and not by bad hours or liquor."
'''JACK, SAM, AND THE KID''
The season of 1897, in the Atlantic League we'd stew.
Richmond had new players for the cranks in the stands to view.
What shall they be called, throughout this new ball year?
Was that "Bluebirds," "Johnnies," or "Giants," echoing in our ear?
A twirler in from Roanoke, we'd all get to know,
Some called him Happy Jack, better known as just Chesbro.
Toiled three years in Richmond, without much acclaim,
Then on to Pittsburgh, New York, and the Baseball Hall of Fame.<br> Let's not forget the other moundsman who helped stoke baseball fever,
The stoic 01' Schoolmaster we knew as Sam Leever.
For only two seasons, with Richmond he did heave,
Next year with Pittsburgh, many a batter would he deceive.
Thirteen years as a Pirate, his pitching not subpar,
Ended with 194 victories, a true major league star.
And then with Cincinnati, did we ever make a deal!
In came a feisty infielder, known as Kid Elberfeld,
With a daring style of play, opposing players he disliked.
Poured raw whiskey on his wounds, from opponent's sharpened spikes.
Only one year with the Johnnies, but a major leaguer he would be,
Spent some time as a Detroit Tiger, managed the Yankees oh so briefly.
We didn't have Babe Ruth, Cobb, or Mickey Mantle,
But, oh how we loved these three stars from Richmond's baseball annals.
----------------------------
Product Infomation
From Daddy Boschen's first professional baseball "shoe shop team" to our current Richmond Braves, from the ballyards of the old fairgrounds of Monroe Park to the Diamond on the Boulevard, baseball in Richmond has flourished. Whether known as the Bluebirds, Bloody Shirts, Lawmakers, Crows, Johnnie Rebs, Colts, Vees, or Braves, each team brought fans through the turnstiles to cheer them to victory, and those fans always left the park with lasting baseball memories. Richmond's ball-gardens and cranks played host to the likes of Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Mickey Mantle, and Ted Williams, as well as homegrown stars, including Billy Nash, Ray Dandridge, Eddie Mooers, Tom West, and Granny Hamner.
Series: Images of Baseball
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing; First Edition edition (June 30, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0738553956<br> ISBN-13: 978-0738553955
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 0.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,575,752 in Books
Manager Jake Wells of the Johnnie Rebs brought in infielder Elberfeld from Cincinnati in 1897. Being small in stature (only 5 feet, 5 inches), Elberfeld made up for lack of height with his challenging style of play. It is said that he would dare opposing players to come in with their spikes high, and when he occasionally got cut by the opposing player, Elberfeld poured whiskey on his spike wounds to cauterize the wounds. The true sparkplug of the Johnnie Rebs, Kid was often the leadoff batter and played all the infield positions, even catching an occasional game. Kid adorned the ballyards of six different major-league teams during his 14-year career. He served a brief stint as manager of the New York Highlanders in 1908.
'''THE JOHNNIE REBS OF 1897.''' Joining a much stronger Atlantic League for the 1897 season, the Richmond Baseball Club started out as Bluebirds and ended up as Giants. For the majority of the season, they were known as the Johnnie Rebs. Jake Wells captained the ship, with Barley Kain patrolling right field and Red Foster a holdover as catcher, while Stuart, McDonald, and Hargrove handled things up the center of the garden. The heart of the Johnnie Rebs, however, was pumped by three future major-leaguers, Jack Chesbro, Sam Leever, and Norman Elberfeld. Chesbro's star was just beginning to shine, but he showed glimpses of his future Hall of Fame credentials, winning 16 games. Leever, a starboard slinger, honed his pitching skills, which led to a 12-year stay with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Elberfeld, the kid of the group, manned the hot corner at third base and became legendary for his feisty, firebrand style of play. Manager Wells was quoted in the Richmond Dispatch: "I want to assure the people that the team's trouble on the recent road trip was caused by lack of hitting, and not by bad hours or liquor."
'''JACK, SAM, AND THE KID''
The season of 1897, in the Atlantic League we'd stew.
Richmond had new players for the cranks in the stands to view.
What shall they be called, throughout this new ball year?
Was that "Bluebirds," "Johnnies," or "Giants," echoing in our ear?
A twirler in from Roanoke, we'd all get to know,
Some called him Happy Jack, better known as just Chesbro.
Toiled three years in Richmond, without much acclaim,
Then on to Pittsburgh, New York, and the Baseball Hall of Fame.<br> Let's not forget the other moundsman who helped stoke baseball fever,
The stoic 01' Schoolmaster we knew as Sam Leever.
For only two seasons, with Richmond he did heave,
Next year with Pittsburgh, many a batter would he deceive.
Thirteen years as a Pirate, his pitching not subpar,
Ended with 194 victories, a true major league star.
And then with Cincinnati, did we ever make a deal!
In came a feisty infielder, known as Kid Elberfeld,
With a daring style of play, opposing players he disliked.
Poured raw whiskey on his wounds, from opponent's sharpened spikes.
Only one year with the Johnnies, but a major leaguer he would be,
Spent some time as a Detroit Tiger, managed the Yankees oh so briefly.
We didn't have Babe Ruth, Cobb, or Mickey Mantle,
But, oh how we loved these three stars from Richmond's baseball annals.
----------------------------
Product Infomation
From Daddy Boschen's first professional baseball "shoe shop team" to our current Richmond Braves, from the ballyards of the old fairgrounds of Monroe Park to the Diamond on the Boulevard, baseball in Richmond has flourished. Whether known as the Bluebirds, Bloody Shirts, Lawmakers, Crows, Johnnie Rebs, Colts, Vees, or Braves, each team brought fans through the turnstiles to cheer them to victory, and those fans always left the park with lasting baseball memories. Richmond's ball-gardens and cranks played host to the likes of Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Mickey Mantle, and Ted Williams, as well as homegrown stars, including Billy Nash, Ray Dandridge, Eddie Mooers, Tom West, and Granny Hamner.
Series: Images of Baseball
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing; First Edition edition (June 30, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0738553956<br> ISBN-13: 978-0738553955
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 0.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,575,752 in Books
