January 7, 1901 - The Daily Inter Ocean - Chicago, IL - Baseball in Detroit
Baseball in Detroit
Elberfeld's Unruliness May Cause Desertion of American League
Umpries Too Severe
Burns and Stallings Complain of Unfairness to Shortstops
American Association May Not Materialize, but Players Are Dissatidfied
Norman ELberfeld, shortstop, late of the Detroit ball club, is about the smallest player now chasing the leather sphere, but Norman Elberfeld, small as he is, may have lighted a torch of baseball war such as the country has not seen since 1889 and the brotherhood campaign. Dispatches from Louisville, while making no mention of the tiny shortstop, nevertheless tell an interesting tale, and a brief run over the annals of the last season will show just why and how the little fellow figures in a rumpus of gigantic size.
The American association, backed by National league influence and absorbing the best brains of the would-be National association, is trying to rise above the American league and to deal Ban Johnson a blow that would make a stone colossus stagger. Up to two days ago the chimerical scheme of an American association seemed utterly farcical. Its promoters labored silently, and fianlly had at least a bluff at a big league ready. One obstacle remained, huge, adamantine - the lack of a big Western town with ball park and capital - a town not too far west, but centrally located, easy of access, and possessing an army of baseball fans. With such a city the dreamers' league might become a verity; without it, the American association had as mcuh chance to happen as a brickbat has to swim.
Detroit, of course, was an ideal city, but the American league was firmly rooted in the city of the straits. Detroit was the bulwark, the centerpiece, the ready money, of the American league, and nobody even dreamed that any other league could gain a footing in that town.
And now it is declared. Detroit - owners, players, ballpark, and everything else - has deserted the American league and is ready to join hands with the American association.
A drama might be written there, entitled, "The Revenge of Burns and Stallings, or How Norman Elberfeld's Cuss Words Built Better than He Knew.
James Burns, a saloon man of Detroit, bought the Detroit club last year and engaged George Stallings to manage it. Ban Johnson and his allies hated Stallings, and gave Burns notice that they did not like him. Burns, who does not care for anybody's advice, told the magnates to chase themselves. Sonn after the playing season opened the fun began.
Burns and Stallings' club got into continual trouble witht he umpires. Norman Elberfeld, the shortstop, was the chief factor in the rows. Ban Johnson and his friends said Elberfeld was a tough and a rowdy. Burns and Stallings said he was simply picked as a mark through which to hurt the Detroit team. One thing is certain: Elberfeld has played in other clubs and nobody ever had trouble with him.
Elberfeld continued to have scraps with umpires. Ban Johnson continued to punish the Detroit club with fines and suspensions. There was a war all summer, and the fracws cooled down only when Elberfeld was suspended for the rest of the season by his own managers, Soon after it was stated that Burns and Johnson had become friends, so friendly that they went fishing together. All went merrily. Detroit was sounted an extra safe asset of the American league, and then came the crash of last Saturday.
Did Burns and Stallings nurse their grievances all winter, silently awaiting a chance to square the account? Did the riots and umpire chasings of last season, therefore, result in the withdrawal of Detroit from the
american league. For a man no bigger than a toad, with a shape like a seasick frog, Norman Elberfeld has certainly cut quite a figure in national baseball matters.
It is dollars and collar-buttons that the American association never sees the light of day, and that it will pass where the Western association of last week passed three days ago - to the shelf of oblivion. It is a fairly saffe proposition that the leagues, National and American, will keep on doing business next sumer without any third parties cutting in. Burns will probably stick to the American - after he has gained a whole lot of concessions and scalped the umpires who troubled him last year. But Norman Elberfeld, the tiny, will have gained much distinction, just the same. He will go down in history as the author of more trouble than any other minor leaguer ever caused.
The wind blasts concerning the new American association did not cause much excitement in Chicago yesterday. Magnates, players, and populace have been so zephyrized by baseball breezes for the last three months that nothing short of the break-up of the National league would make them even yawn. Fictions and fables, wild-eyed attempts at forming leagues, have filled the air till every ear is weary. Consequently, the lack of uproarious comment on the proceedings which came off at Louisville and are supposed to revolutionize the whole national game.
Elberfeld's Unruliness May Cause Desertion of American League
Umpries Too Severe
Burns and Stallings Complain of Unfairness to Shortstops
American Association May Not Materialize, but Players Are Dissatidfied
Norman ELberfeld, shortstop, late of the Detroit ball club, is about the smallest player now chasing the leather sphere, but Norman Elberfeld, small as he is, may have lighted a torch of baseball war such as the country has not seen since 1889 and the brotherhood campaign. Dispatches from Louisville, while making no mention of the tiny shortstop, nevertheless tell an interesting tale, and a brief run over the annals of the last season will show just why and how the little fellow figures in a rumpus of gigantic size.
The American association, backed by National league influence and absorbing the best brains of the would-be National association, is trying to rise above the American league and to deal Ban Johnson a blow that would make a stone colossus stagger. Up to two days ago the chimerical scheme of an American association seemed utterly farcical. Its promoters labored silently, and fianlly had at least a bluff at a big league ready. One obstacle remained, huge, adamantine - the lack of a big Western town with ball park and capital - a town not too far west, but centrally located, easy of access, and possessing an army of baseball fans. With such a city the dreamers' league might become a verity; without it, the American association had as mcuh chance to happen as a brickbat has to swim.
Detroit, of course, was an ideal city, but the American league was firmly rooted in the city of the straits. Detroit was the bulwark, the centerpiece, the ready money, of the American league, and nobody even dreamed that any other league could gain a footing in that town.
And now it is declared. Detroit - owners, players, ballpark, and everything else - has deserted the American league and is ready to join hands with the American association.
A drama might be written there, entitled, "The Revenge of Burns and Stallings, or How Norman Elberfeld's Cuss Words Built Better than He Knew.
James Burns, a saloon man of Detroit, bought the Detroit club last year and engaged George Stallings to manage it. Ban Johnson and his allies hated Stallings, and gave Burns notice that they did not like him. Burns, who does not care for anybody's advice, told the magnates to chase themselves. Sonn after the playing season opened the fun began.
Burns and Stallings' club got into continual trouble witht he umpires. Norman Elberfeld, the shortstop, was the chief factor in the rows. Ban Johnson and his friends said Elberfeld was a tough and a rowdy. Burns and Stallings said he was simply picked as a mark through which to hurt the Detroit team. One thing is certain: Elberfeld has played in other clubs and nobody ever had trouble with him.
Elberfeld continued to have scraps with umpires. Ban Johnson continued to punish the Detroit club with fines and suspensions. There was a war all summer, and the fracws cooled down only when Elberfeld was suspended for the rest of the season by his own managers, Soon after it was stated that Burns and Johnson had become friends, so friendly that they went fishing together. All went merrily. Detroit was sounted an extra safe asset of the American league, and then came the crash of last Saturday.
Did Burns and Stallings nurse their grievances all winter, silently awaiting a chance to square the account? Did the riots and umpire chasings of last season, therefore, result in the withdrawal of Detroit from the
american league. For a man no bigger than a toad, with a shape like a seasick frog, Norman Elberfeld has certainly cut quite a figure in national baseball matters.
It is dollars and collar-buttons that the American association never sees the light of day, and that it will pass where the Western association of last week passed three days ago - to the shelf of oblivion. It is a fairly saffe proposition that the leagues, National and American, will keep on doing business next sumer without any third parties cutting in. Burns will probably stick to the American - after he has gained a whole lot of concessions and scalped the umpires who troubled him last year. But Norman Elberfeld, the tiny, will have gained much distinction, just the same. He will go down in history as the author of more trouble than any other minor leaguer ever caused.
The wind blasts concerning the new American association did not cause much excitement in Chicago yesterday. Magnates, players, and populace have been so zephyrized by baseball breezes for the last three months that nothing short of the break-up of the National league would make them even yawn. Fictions and fables, wild-eyed attempts at forming leagues, have filled the air till every ear is weary. Consequently, the lack of uproarious comment on the proceedings which came off at Louisville and are supposed to revolutionize the whole national game.
