"KID" ELBEBFELD.
Fast Little Shortstop Tells of His Best and Poorest Plays.
Norman Elberfeld., the hustling little shortstop of the New York Americans, has been playing professional base ball only since 1895. He was a boy in knickerbockers when he got his first professional engagement with the Clarkesville, Tenn., club. To George Grant, now the proprietor and manager of "Kid" McCoy's cafe is due the credit of bringing out Elberfeld. Billy Earl was the manager of the Clarkesville club In 1895. He had on his team a brother (Wesley) of Norman Elberfeld, who quit the game to enter Into other business. Earl was left short handed and he sent to George Grant, who was then connected with the Southern League, asking him for another player. Grant knew of Kid Elberfeld and his ability and he shipped him on to Clarkesville.
Manager Earl looked at the youngster in astonishment. The new arrival was a raw country boy. not ever having been away from the wilds of Waldens Ridge, where there are some people still living who do not know the civil war is over. Earl wired back to Grant: "I want a man, not a Kid." He tried the youngster, however, and his eyes were immediately opened to the fact that he had a prize package in the youthful mountaineer. Elberfeld started In his first game with the nerve and confidence of an old-timer, and made a hit from the start. Down in Clarkesville they still think Kid Elberfeld is a wonder, and his career as a Highlander is closely followed by the natives. In talking about Elberfeld's first appearance.
Manager Earl said: "I never saw such a merry, kid. One would imagine he had been in the game for years. instead of just breaking in." Earl thought so much of "The Kid." that he took him to Dallaas, Texas, the next season. In 1897 Elberfeld was with the Richmond. Va., club. From them he went to the Philadelphia club of the National League, then under the management of George Stallings. The latter took Elberfeld along with him to Detroit, in which city the kid played until the fortunate trade was made that enabled him to join the Highlanders last season.
Elberfeld tells here some of his best plays, and also his worst, as he can remember them: "It is not a cinch by any means to dig up the good and bad plays one has made. If my team can win the game, that is about sufficient for me. and I forget many times just how prominently I may have figured in the victory.
"The best batting I remember of having done was right up on Washington Heights last season, when we were playing the Philadelphia Athletics. Connie Mack had saved up Rube Waddell for us, and the famous southpaw never had more speed or better benders. When Rube is right he is a wonder, and when It is remembered that he fanned thirteen batters that afternoon it can be appreciated that he was pretty near being right. It was Rube's first appearance of the season in New York, and he was more than anxious to pitch a winning game. It was the closest kind of a contest, and we just managed to win out, 4 to 3. (Actual score 3-2) I was the lucky boy that day. I made four clean plunks off Rube, drove in three runs and scored one myself. (Did not score any runs himself) That wasn't so bad. when you say it quick. There were only four hits made off Rube that day So I copped.
It was one of those lucky days when a player can hit a pea. Rube didn't fool me a little bit. I refused to let him drive me away from the plate, but stood up close and just met the bail. Every hit was a hard one, too, and on a line. If I had attempted to swing hard I might not have made a hit. There is everything in a batter timing the ball well, and then just meeting it. One will be surprised at the swiftness with which the ball shoots off the bat.
Perhaps my best catch was of a hot line drive over second that I landed with my left hand while on a dead run. It was against the Washington, and the score was very close, only one run separating us There were runners on first and second with no one out, and big Delehanty up. It was the ninth inning and it looked as though our goose was cooked, for all the Senators' best batters were-coming up Del got a nice low one. just where he wanted it. and when that happened perhaps he couldn't kill the ball. He met this one plumb on the nose and it shot like a streak over second. I went for the ball blind, merely sticking my hand out, taking a chance that the horsehide would stick in my mitt. Well, it did, by great luck, and all I had to do was to touch second and then throw to first, and the whole side was out.
Del looked daggers at me. and could have broken my neck, but I merely said: " 'Hard luck, old man.' Yes' you robber- You are the luckiest kid on earth.' That was the last time I saw poor Del.
One of the worst errors of the many I have made was in a game at Detroit, when I was with that club. Our opponents had two runs to make to win out. and there were two men out. There was a runner on first, the batter hit a deep grounder that I got over toward third. I picked the ball up clean enough, and my play was to throw to second to head off the runner from first. But, no, I got too fresh wanting to make a grand stand play. I suppose, and I shot the ball to flrst. I slipped or something, for the ball sailed about forty feet over the first baseman's head and into the bleachers. Both men scored, and I went home by unfrequented paths."
Fast Little Shortstop Tells of His Best and Poorest Plays.
Norman Elberfeld., the hustling little shortstop of the New York Americans, has been playing professional base ball only since 1895. He was a boy in knickerbockers when he got his first professional engagement with the Clarkesville, Tenn., club. To George Grant, now the proprietor and manager of "Kid" McCoy's cafe is due the credit of bringing out Elberfeld. Billy Earl was the manager of the Clarkesville club In 1895. He had on his team a brother (Wesley) of Norman Elberfeld, who quit the game to enter Into other business. Earl was left short handed and he sent to George Grant, who was then connected with the Southern League, asking him for another player. Grant knew of Kid Elberfeld and his ability and he shipped him on to Clarkesville.
Manager Earl looked at the youngster in astonishment. The new arrival was a raw country boy. not ever having been away from the wilds of Waldens Ridge, where there are some people still living who do not know the civil war is over. Earl wired back to Grant: "I want a man, not a Kid." He tried the youngster, however, and his eyes were immediately opened to the fact that he had a prize package in the youthful mountaineer. Elberfeld started In his first game with the nerve and confidence of an old-timer, and made a hit from the start. Down in Clarkesville they still think Kid Elberfeld is a wonder, and his career as a Highlander is closely followed by the natives. In talking about Elberfeld's first appearance.
Manager Earl said: "I never saw such a merry, kid. One would imagine he had been in the game for years. instead of just breaking in." Earl thought so much of "The Kid." that he took him to Dallaas, Texas, the next season. In 1897 Elberfeld was with the Richmond. Va., club. From them he went to the Philadelphia club of the National League, then under the management of George Stallings. The latter took Elberfeld along with him to Detroit, in which city the kid played until the fortunate trade was made that enabled him to join the Highlanders last season.
Elberfeld tells here some of his best plays, and also his worst, as he can remember them: "It is not a cinch by any means to dig up the good and bad plays one has made. If my team can win the game, that is about sufficient for me. and I forget many times just how prominently I may have figured in the victory.
"The best batting I remember of having done was right up on Washington Heights last season, when we were playing the Philadelphia Athletics. Connie Mack had saved up Rube Waddell for us, and the famous southpaw never had more speed or better benders. When Rube is right he is a wonder, and when It is remembered that he fanned thirteen batters that afternoon it can be appreciated that he was pretty near being right. It was Rube's first appearance of the season in New York, and he was more than anxious to pitch a winning game. It was the closest kind of a contest, and we just managed to win out, 4 to 3. (Actual score 3-2) I was the lucky boy that day. I made four clean plunks off Rube, drove in three runs and scored one myself. (Did not score any runs himself) That wasn't so bad. when you say it quick. There were only four hits made off Rube that day So I copped.
It was one of those lucky days when a player can hit a pea. Rube didn't fool me a little bit. I refused to let him drive me away from the plate, but stood up close and just met the bail. Every hit was a hard one, too, and on a line. If I had attempted to swing hard I might not have made a hit. There is everything in a batter timing the ball well, and then just meeting it. One will be surprised at the swiftness with which the ball shoots off the bat.
Perhaps my best catch was of a hot line drive over second that I landed with my left hand while on a dead run. It was against the Washington, and the score was very close, only one run separating us There were runners on first and second with no one out, and big Delehanty up. It was the ninth inning and it looked as though our goose was cooked, for all the Senators' best batters were-coming up Del got a nice low one. just where he wanted it. and when that happened perhaps he couldn't kill the ball. He met this one plumb on the nose and it shot like a streak over second. I went for the ball blind, merely sticking my hand out, taking a chance that the horsehide would stick in my mitt. Well, it did, by great luck, and all I had to do was to touch second and then throw to first, and the whole side was out.
Del looked daggers at me. and could have broken my neck, but I merely said: " 'Hard luck, old man.' Yes' you robber- You are the luckiest kid on earth.' That was the last time I saw poor Del.
One of the worst errors of the many I have made was in a game at Detroit, when I was with that club. Our opponents had two runs to make to win out. and there were two men out. There was a runner on first, the batter hit a deep grounder that I got over toward third. I picked the ball up clean enough, and my play was to throw to second to head off the runner from first. But, no, I got too fresh wanting to make a grand stand play. I suppose, and I shot the ball to flrst. I slipped or something, for the ball sailed about forty feet over the first baseman's head and into the bleachers. Both men scored, and I went home by unfrequented paths."
