Baseball Legend Kid Elberfeld and His Famous Athlete Daughters — The Elberfeld Girls - SportRaid.com
Baseball Legend Kid Elberfeld and His Famous Athlete Daughters — The Elberfeld Girls
The Tobasco Kid trained his daughters to be athletic phenoms who traveled the country displaying their abilities
Andrew Martin
Jun 25, 2020
Norman “Kid” Elberfeld was small and scrappy — the epitome of the stereotype that has described many baseball players over the year. He was also nicknamed the Tabasco Kid because of a smoldering temper that saw him get into numerous conflicts, both verbal and physical, during a 14-year big-league playing career. Once his days on the diamond were over, he turned his attention squarely to his children; particularly his five daughters, who he trained into superior athletes and were made famous as the Elberfeld Girls for their feats of athletic prowess.
At just 5’7” and barely exceeding 150 pounds, Elberfeld was a highly regarded infield prospect, who started playing pro baseball in 1892 when he was just 17. In a story that may be apocryphal, he was so coveted that one scout for the Philadelphia Phillies even recommended his team sign him over another youngster named Honus Wagner. The scorned shortstop went on to have a Hall-of-Fame career with the Pittsburgh Pirates while the player preferred by Philly played a total of 14 games for them before being traded.
Even though Elberfeld didn’t last in Philadelphia, he went on to find success elsewhere, ultimately playing for five other teams. His best seasons were with the Detroit Tigers and New York Highlanders (Yankees). He didn’t have any traditional skills that stood out besides being a good defender, so he provided value by getting dirty and being one of baseball’s original scrappers. He was especially known for being hit by pitches, and the 165 times he was plunked still ranks 18th all-time. In 1907, he became the first American League player to steal home twice in the same game.
He also developed a reputation for his hot-headed behavior on the field. In addition to 26 ejections (during a time where it took a great deal more to be tossed than it does today), he had times where he physically assaulted umpires and opposing players; including one incident where he shoved a lump of dirt in an arbiter’s open mouth.
Elberfeld played his final major league games in 1914 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He compiled career numbers of 1,292 games, a .271 batting average, 1,235 hits, 10 home runs, 535 RBIs and 213 stolen bases. He went on to play for several more years for his hometown minor league Chattanooga Lookouts and the Little Rock Travelers (he also managed at both locations during this time) before moving on from the playing field after the 1918 season when he was 43; focusing on being a skipper full-time.
Remaining in baseball for years, he gained notoriety for signing future Hall-of-Famer Travis Jackson to his first professional contract. The Kid was a baseball man through and through, but he was also a family man, who bought an apple orchard outside of Chattanooga and raised his son Jack and five daughters (Dorothy, Edith, Miriam, Nan and Ruth); working to pass his athletic knowledge along to them.
In particular, his girls developed into accomplished athletes. It didn’t matter what the sport was; if it could be played, they probably did it well. Swimming and diving; wrestling and boxing; golf; gymnastics and tennis. A 1921 article appearing in the Daily Arkansas Gazette when Kid was managing in Little Rock helped introduce the sisters to a wide audience.
“All have been taught to swim, and Nan holds the record for the highest dive ever made by a woman at Lake Worth, Fort Worth, Tex., made last summer when the “Travelers” were playing the southern circuit. She is also an expert tennis player, winning the singles trophy last spring in the Little Rock — Hot Springs meet given under the auspices of the Girl reserves of the Little Rock High School. Miriam and Edith are following close in their sister’s footsteps and even now hold her to a hard game. Dorothy and Ruth, the younger girls, are active participant in the neighborhood games.”
Naturally, they all had their specialties. Nan, the oldest, and Miriam were tennis champions. Dorothy excelled at swimming while Ruth, the youngest, was a decorated diver. Edith impressed on the basketball court.
They became well-known during the 1920s, travelling through the South giving exhibitions and playing amateurs and college teams. Their true reason for fame was their basketball team, which had the eponymous name of “The Elberfeld Girls.” Coached by their father, they became a sensation barnstorming and taking on all comers.
Elberfeld was clearly proud of his daughters. It also likely didn’t hurt that their athletic ability was a way to generate extra income. He told reporters that his philosophy on how to raise his daughters was simple. “Feed ’em and let ’em play.” He went on to elaborate, “While I lived the life of a baseball star the diamond was my schoolroom, I learned there some mighty valuable lessons which have been of a lot of benefit to me in rearing my five girls. I have trained them all to proficiency in virtually every American outdoor sport.”
The former baseball spitfire also emphasized the importance of education to his children, with all five of his daughters attending the University of Chattanooga, and some going on to complete advanced degree work at Columbia and Duke. Kid explained, “I had only four years of schooling myself but I was going to see to it my kids got the schooling I missed.”
The sisters remained in athletics for the remainder of their lives. All five went on to work as coaches, gym teachers or playground supervisors.
Sadly, Jack saw his athletic aspirations end as a young man. Once a promising pitcher, he suffered a severe spine injury while playing football before he could try to continue the family hardball legacy.
In addition to coaching his daughters, Kid remained close to baseball as a coach and instructor at baseball schools. He even made one final appearance as a player in 1936 when he was 61; appearing as a pinch hitter for the Fulton Eagles of the Class-D Kitty League. He passed away from pneumonia in 1944. It’s hard to imagine a sports family with more diverse and all-around accomplishments as the Elberfelds; especially the talented sisters who were a well-known sensation during the Roaring ‘20s.
The Tobasco Kid trained his daughters to be athletic phenoms who traveled the country displaying their abilities
Andrew Martin
Jun 25, 2020
Norman “Kid” Elberfeld was small and scrappy — the epitome of the stereotype that has described many baseball players over the year. He was also nicknamed the Tabasco Kid because of a smoldering temper that saw him get into numerous conflicts, both verbal and physical, during a 14-year big-league playing career. Once his days on the diamond were over, he turned his attention squarely to his children; particularly his five daughters, who he trained into superior athletes and were made famous as the Elberfeld Girls for their feats of athletic prowess.
At just 5’7” and barely exceeding 150 pounds, Elberfeld was a highly regarded infield prospect, who started playing pro baseball in 1892 when he was just 17. In a story that may be apocryphal, he was so coveted that one scout for the Philadelphia Phillies even recommended his team sign him over another youngster named Honus Wagner. The scorned shortstop went on to have a Hall-of-Fame career with the Pittsburgh Pirates while the player preferred by Philly played a total of 14 games for them before being traded.
Even though Elberfeld didn’t last in Philadelphia, he went on to find success elsewhere, ultimately playing for five other teams. His best seasons were with the Detroit Tigers and New York Highlanders (Yankees). He didn’t have any traditional skills that stood out besides being a good defender, so he provided value by getting dirty and being one of baseball’s original scrappers. He was especially known for being hit by pitches, and the 165 times he was plunked still ranks 18th all-time. In 1907, he became the first American League player to steal home twice in the same game.
He also developed a reputation for his hot-headed behavior on the field. In addition to 26 ejections (during a time where it took a great deal more to be tossed than it does today), he had times where he physically assaulted umpires and opposing players; including one incident where he shoved a lump of dirt in an arbiter’s open mouth.
Elberfeld played his final major league games in 1914 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He compiled career numbers of 1,292 games, a .271 batting average, 1,235 hits, 10 home runs, 535 RBIs and 213 stolen bases. He went on to play for several more years for his hometown minor league Chattanooga Lookouts and the Little Rock Travelers (he also managed at both locations during this time) before moving on from the playing field after the 1918 season when he was 43; focusing on being a skipper full-time.
Remaining in baseball for years, he gained notoriety for signing future Hall-of-Famer Travis Jackson to his first professional contract. The Kid was a baseball man through and through, but he was also a family man, who bought an apple orchard outside of Chattanooga and raised his son Jack and five daughters (Dorothy, Edith, Miriam, Nan and Ruth); working to pass his athletic knowledge along to them.
In particular, his girls developed into accomplished athletes. It didn’t matter what the sport was; if it could be played, they probably did it well. Swimming and diving; wrestling and boxing; golf; gymnastics and tennis. A 1921 article appearing in the Daily Arkansas Gazette when Kid was managing in Little Rock helped introduce the sisters to a wide audience.
“All have been taught to swim, and Nan holds the record for the highest dive ever made by a woman at Lake Worth, Fort Worth, Tex., made last summer when the “Travelers” were playing the southern circuit. She is also an expert tennis player, winning the singles trophy last spring in the Little Rock — Hot Springs meet given under the auspices of the Girl reserves of the Little Rock High School. Miriam and Edith are following close in their sister’s footsteps and even now hold her to a hard game. Dorothy and Ruth, the younger girls, are active participant in the neighborhood games.”
Naturally, they all had their specialties. Nan, the oldest, and Miriam were tennis champions. Dorothy excelled at swimming while Ruth, the youngest, was a decorated diver. Edith impressed on the basketball court.
They became well-known during the 1920s, travelling through the South giving exhibitions and playing amateurs and college teams. Their true reason for fame was their basketball team, which had the eponymous name of “The Elberfeld Girls.” Coached by their father, they became a sensation barnstorming and taking on all comers.
Elberfeld was clearly proud of his daughters. It also likely didn’t hurt that their athletic ability was a way to generate extra income. He told reporters that his philosophy on how to raise his daughters was simple. “Feed ’em and let ’em play.” He went on to elaborate, “While I lived the life of a baseball star the diamond was my schoolroom, I learned there some mighty valuable lessons which have been of a lot of benefit to me in rearing my five girls. I have trained them all to proficiency in virtually every American outdoor sport.”
The former baseball spitfire also emphasized the importance of education to his children, with all five of his daughters attending the University of Chattanooga, and some going on to complete advanced degree work at Columbia and Duke. Kid explained, “I had only four years of schooling myself but I was going to see to it my kids got the schooling I missed.”
The sisters remained in athletics for the remainder of their lives. All five went on to work as coaches, gym teachers or playground supervisors.
Sadly, Jack saw his athletic aspirations end as a young man. Once a promising pitcher, he suffered a severe spine injury while playing football before he could try to continue the family hardball legacy.
In addition to coaching his daughters, Kid remained close to baseball as a coach and instructor at baseball schools. He even made one final appearance as a player in 1936 when he was 61; appearing as a pinch hitter for the Fulton Eagles of the Class-D Kitty League. He passed away from pneumonia in 1944. It’s hard to imagine a sports family with more diverse and all-around accomplishments as the Elberfelds; especially the talented sisters who were a well-known sensation during the Roaring ‘20s.
The Elberfeld sisters in their basketball uniforms. (Photo via Chattanooga by Jerry R. Desmond)
Elberfeld and his daughters. (Photo via September 11, 1927 — The Independent Record)
The more they played, the more coverage the Elberfeld Girls got. (Photo via March 3, 1926 — The Kingsport Times, TN)
