January 15, 1944 - Kingsport News, TN - Obituary
Tobasco Kid Dies After Colorful Athletic Career
Chattanooga -- AP -- After waging a heated battle as he ever did over a disputed base steal, Norman "Kid" Elberfeld, 69, a baseball star for three decades, succumbed to an attack of pneumonia Thursday midnight.
The "Kid" amaze physicians and kinsmen alike at his determination to prevent a final umpire from calling him out. Several times during his week-long illness he rallied momentarily against seemingly impossible odds.
Elberfeld, who played in the major leagues from the turn of the century until 1915 when he began a manager's career in the Southern Association, will be buried at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Pallbearers will be six longtime friends, all of whom have played major league ball themselves. They are Dave Gaston, Fred Grafi, George Cunningham, Lieut. Bob Reeves, Johnny Johnston and Wheeler "Doc" Johnson.
Survivors include his widow, five daughters and a son, all of Chattanooga; two sisters, Miss Lill Elberfeld of Cincinnati and Mrs. Margaret Uhrig of Spokane, Wash. and a brother, the Rev. Samuel Elberfeld of Boston.
Elberfeld, whose fire on the playing field gave him the name of the "Tobasco Kid," broke into the majors just before the turn of the century with the Philadelphia Nationals. There followed years with Detroit, Cincinnati and the old New York Highlanders where he was manager for most of the 1908 season. He came south to stay in 1915 and played or managed at Chattanooga, Montgomery, Mobile and Little Rock.
Chattanooga -- AP -- After waging a heated battle as he ever did over a disputed base steal, Norman "Kid" Elberfeld, 69, a baseball star for three decades, succumbed to an attack of pneumonia Thursday midnight.
The "Kid" amaze physicians and kinsmen alike at his determination to prevent a final umpire from calling him out. Several times during his week-long illness he rallied momentarily against seemingly impossible odds.
Elberfeld, who played in the major leagues from the turn of the century until 1915 when he began a manager's career in the Southern Association, will be buried at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Pallbearers will be six longtime friends, all of whom have played major league ball themselves. They are Dave Gaston, Fred Grafi, George Cunningham, Lieut. Bob Reeves, Johnny Johnston and Wheeler "Doc" Johnson.
Survivors include his widow, five daughters and a son, all of Chattanooga; two sisters, Miss Lill Elberfeld of Cincinnati and Mrs. Margaret Uhrig of Spokane, Wash. and a brother, the Rev. Samuel Elberfeld of Boston.
Elberfeld, whose fire on the playing field gave him the name of the "Tobasco Kid," broke into the majors just before the turn of the century with the Philadelphia Nationals. There followed years with Detroit, Cincinnati and the old New York Highlanders where he was manager for most of the 1908 season. He came south to stay in 1915 and played or managed at Chattanooga, Montgomery, Mobile and Little Rock.