The Rank and File of 19th Century Major League Baseball: Biographies of 1,084 Players, Owners, Managers and Umpires...Mar 20, 2012 by David Nemec
The Rank and File of 19th Century Major League Baseball: Biographies of 1,084 Players, Owners, Managers and Umpires...Mar 20, 2012 by David Nemec
Elberfeld, Norman Arthur "Kid"
1898 Philadelphia, National League,
1899 Cincinnati National League,
1901-1903 Detroit American League,
1904-1909 New York American League,
1910-1911 Washington American League,
1914 Brooklyn National League
Debut: 5/30/98 at Philadelphia: in the 1st game of a DH played third base and went 2-for-3 in a 6-1 win over Louisville's Chick Fraser
Finale: 9/23/14 at Brooklyn: replaced Dick Egan at SS and had no at bats and no chances in a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh's Ery Kantlchner and George McQuillan.
Kid Elberfeld patterned his style of play after the rowdy 1890s Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Spiders. Shortly after he came to New Yolk AL in 1904, Gotham sportswriter Sam Gant dubbed him 'The Tabasco Kid" for his volcanic temper and combative nature. Adept at getting hit by pitches and giving the hip to unwary baserunners, for much of his career Elbelfeld wore a whalebone shin guard on his right leg for protection against being spiked as he brushed the 2B bag while turning a double play. As early as his second ML season in 1899, TSN cited him as an example of a player long on nerve but without a whole lot of natural ability who was nonetheless successfully making his way in the game. Elberfeld grew up in Cincinnati and was already known at "Kid" when he joined the local Norwood Maroons in 1893. For the next two seasons he played with the Maroons on Saturday and on Sunday donned the uniform of the Bond Hills, which were managed by his brother Wes.
When Wes received a telegram from ex-Ml. catcher Billy Earle. who ran the Clarksville, TN. independent team, asking him to recommend a second baseman, his younger brother volunteered. [he following season Elberfeld followed Earle to Dallas of the Texas League and then advanced to Richmond of the Atlantic League in 1897. When he hit 306 and swiped 43 bases. the Phils acquired him. Soon after joining Philadelphia for spring training at Cape May, NJ, Elberfeld hurt his right knee. He then hurt his left knee when the team arrived in Philadelphia, putting both knees in plaster casts. Expected to be the only rookie to crack the starting lineup, Elberfeld had his Ml. intro delayed until a Memorial Day DH against Louisville. Within two weeks he was considered the equal of Hughie Jennings, Dick Padden and Bill Eagan at deliberately getting bit by pitches, but unlike the others he turned his head into the ball so that it hit him in the back of the skull, a stunt so reckless that no umpire could possibly imagine he would do it deliberately. But when his fielding at 3B was raw and his hitting iffy, he was released to Detroit at the end Of June.
The following year Cincinnati owner John T. Brush acquired Elberfeld from Detroit to fill a hole at SS, only to discover that he first had to pay Western League president Ban Johnson a $100 fine before Elberfeld was eligible to play because Detroit's owner had suspended him for the balance of the season after he slugged umpire Jack Haskell. That winter Elberfeld was among the many victims of contraction when the National League lopped off four teams. He returned to Detroit, which was now part of the newly renamed American League, and led all shortstops in the loop in range and the entire circuit in player ejections. In October, Elberfeld married Emily Catlow and bought a farm in Chattanooga, TN, where the couple settled. When the Al. declared its intention of claiming major league status in 1901, his was among the first signatures that Detroit strove to get on a contract. (DN)
The Rank and File of 19th Century Major League Baseball: Biographies of 1,084 Players, Owners, Managers and Umpires Overview With this volume, David Nemec completes his remarkable trilogy of 19th-century baseball biographies, covering every major league player, manager, umpire, owner and league official. It provides in-depth information on many figures unknown to most historians. Each detailed entry includes vital statistics, peer-driven analysis of baseball-related skills, and an overview of the individual's role in the game. Also chronicled are players' first and last major league games, most important achievements, movements from team to team, and much more. By bringing attention to these overlooked baseball personalities, this reference work immeasurably enriches our knowledge of 19th century major league baseball.
Meet the Author: David Nemec, a baseball historian, novelist, and playwright, has published six novels and authored or coauthored more than thirty books on baseball. The recipient of The Sporting News Research Award, he lives in Eastport, New York.
Product Details
1898 Philadelphia, National League,
1899 Cincinnati National League,
1901-1903 Detroit American League,
1904-1909 New York American League,
1910-1911 Washington American League,
1914 Brooklyn National League
Debut: 5/30/98 at Philadelphia: in the 1st game of a DH played third base and went 2-for-3 in a 6-1 win over Louisville's Chick Fraser
Finale: 9/23/14 at Brooklyn: replaced Dick Egan at SS and had no at bats and no chances in a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh's Ery Kantlchner and George McQuillan.
Kid Elberfeld patterned his style of play after the rowdy 1890s Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Spiders. Shortly after he came to New Yolk AL in 1904, Gotham sportswriter Sam Gant dubbed him 'The Tabasco Kid" for his volcanic temper and combative nature. Adept at getting hit by pitches and giving the hip to unwary baserunners, for much of his career Elbelfeld wore a whalebone shin guard on his right leg for protection against being spiked as he brushed the 2B bag while turning a double play. As early as his second ML season in 1899, TSN cited him as an example of a player long on nerve but without a whole lot of natural ability who was nonetheless successfully making his way in the game. Elberfeld grew up in Cincinnati and was already known at "Kid" when he joined the local Norwood Maroons in 1893. For the next two seasons he played with the Maroons on Saturday and on Sunday donned the uniform of the Bond Hills, which were managed by his brother Wes.
When Wes received a telegram from ex-Ml. catcher Billy Earle. who ran the Clarksville, TN. independent team, asking him to recommend a second baseman, his younger brother volunteered. [he following season Elberfeld followed Earle to Dallas of the Texas League and then advanced to Richmond of the Atlantic League in 1897. When he hit 306 and swiped 43 bases. the Phils acquired him. Soon after joining Philadelphia for spring training at Cape May, NJ, Elberfeld hurt his right knee. He then hurt his left knee when the team arrived in Philadelphia, putting both knees in plaster casts. Expected to be the only rookie to crack the starting lineup, Elberfeld had his Ml. intro delayed until a Memorial Day DH against Louisville. Within two weeks he was considered the equal of Hughie Jennings, Dick Padden and Bill Eagan at deliberately getting bit by pitches, but unlike the others he turned his head into the ball so that it hit him in the back of the skull, a stunt so reckless that no umpire could possibly imagine he would do it deliberately. But when his fielding at 3B was raw and his hitting iffy, he was released to Detroit at the end Of June.
The following year Cincinnati owner John T. Brush acquired Elberfeld from Detroit to fill a hole at SS, only to discover that he first had to pay Western League president Ban Johnson a $100 fine before Elberfeld was eligible to play because Detroit's owner had suspended him for the balance of the season after he slugged umpire Jack Haskell. That winter Elberfeld was among the many victims of contraction when the National League lopped off four teams. He returned to Detroit, which was now part of the newly renamed American League, and led all shortstops in the loop in range and the entire circuit in player ejections. In October, Elberfeld married Emily Catlow and bought a farm in Chattanooga, TN, where the couple settled. When the Al. declared its intention of claiming major league status in 1901, his was among the first signatures that Detroit strove to get on a contract. (DN)
The Rank and File of 19th Century Major League Baseball: Biographies of 1,084 Players, Owners, Managers and Umpires Overview With this volume, David Nemec completes his remarkable trilogy of 19th-century baseball biographies, covering every major league player, manager, umpire, owner and league official. It provides in-depth information on many figures unknown to most historians. Each detailed entry includes vital statistics, peer-driven analysis of baseball-related skills, and an overview of the individual's role in the game. Also chronicled are players' first and last major league games, most important achievements, movements from team to team, and much more. By bringing attention to these overlooked baseball personalities, this reference work immeasurably enriches our knowledge of 19th century major league baseball.
Meet the Author: David Nemec, a baseball historian, novelist, and playwright, has published six novels and authored or coauthored more than thirty books on baseball. The recipient of The Sporting News Research Award, he lives in Eastport, New York.
Product Details
- Paperback: 314 pages
- Publisher: McFarland (March 20, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0786468904
- ISBN-13: 978-0786468904
- Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 8.2 x 10.8 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #706,326 in Books
