Highlighted Year: Norman “Kid” Elberfeld, 1901

Shortstop, Detroit Tigers

Age: 26 (April 13)

1^st major league season with Tigers

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’7”    Weight: 158 

Prior to 1901:

An Ohio native who grew up in Cincinnati, Norman Elberfeld had little formal schooling and played hockey and baseball in his youth. After playing for an independent team in Clarksville, Tennessee in 1895, he joined the Dallas Navigators of the Texas Association in 1896 until a leg injury in May prematurely ended his season. Moving on to Richmond of the Atlantic League in 1897, he batted .335 with 45 stolen bases and the National League’s Philadelphia Phillies purchased his contract. A knee injury delayed Elberfeld’s first appearance with the Phillies in 1898 until May 30. He played in only 14 games for the Phillies until being sold to the Tigers (a club in the minor Western League at the time) where he hit .238 and established his reputation for aggressive and scrappy play. With Detroit in 1899, Elberfeld batted .308 with 23 stolen bases before the Cincinnati Reds bought his contract in August. Hindered by a back injury and experiencing difficulties with his fielding, he hit .261 and was unimpressive. Returning to Detroit in 1900, which was now part of the not-yet-major American League, he excelled in the field while batting .263 with 28 stolen bases. With the American League now a major league in 1901, Elberfeld was a key component of the “most aggressive and scrappiest” club in the new circuit.

1901 Season Summary

Appeared in 121 games

SS – 121

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 509

At Bats – 432

Runs – 76

Hits – 133

Doubles – 21

Triples – 11 [18, tied with John Farrell, Billy Hoy & Clarence Foster]

Home Runs – 3

RBI – 76 [12, tied with Harry Davis]

Bases on Balls – 57 [7]

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 18

Stolen Bases – 23

Caught Stealing – N/A

Average - .308 [17]

OBP - .397 [6, tied with Socks Seybold]

Slugging Pct. - .428 [14]

Total Bases – 185

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 7 [16, tied with four others]

Sac Hits – 12 [19, tied with five others]

Sac Flies – N/A

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 9, 3B – 7, HR – 2, RBI – 14, SB – 14, AVG - .342,. OBP - .444

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Most hits, game – 3 on ten occasions

Longest hitting streak – 10 games

HR at home – 2

HR on road – 1

Most home runs, game – 1 (in 3 AB) at Chi. White Sox 4/29, (in 4 AB) vs. Phila. A’s 6/2, (in 4 AB) vs. Baltimore 7/28

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 vs. Milwaukee 8/11

Fielding

Chances – 819

Put Outs – 332

Assists – 411

Errors – 76

DP – 62

Pct. - .907

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In their first year as a major league team the Tigers went 74-61 to finish third in the AL, 8.5 games behind the pennant-winning Chicago White Sox. The scrappy Tigers got off to a fast start and led the AL through most of May but fell back into the middle of the pack during a 10-14 June that included a season-high six-game losing streak. After recovering somewhat in July, the club settled into fourth place in August before a seven-game September winning streak pulled them into third to stay.

Aftermath of 1901:

Nicknamed “Kid” because he was an undersized player who played aggressively, Elberfeld followed up in 1902 by batting .260 with a .348 on-base percentage and ranked second among AL shortstops in putouts (67) and fourth in assists (459) and double plays (63). The NL’s New York Giants raided the Detroit roster and reportedly signed Elberfeld, whose temperament and style of play appealed to Giants manager John McGraw. The 1903 peace agreement between the leagues voided the deal and Elberfeld returned to the Tigers. He got off to a good start in 1903 but slumped both at bat and defensively, running afoul of manager Ed Barrow, who suspended him for “loaferish conduct” on June 2 and dealt him to the New York Highlanders (now Yankees) a few days later. He finished strong with the Highlanders, batting .287 in 90 games with a .346 OBP, 18 doubles, 5 triples, 45 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases. Elberfeld got in trouble off the field by being charged with disorderly conduct for throwing a bottle (or knife) at a waiter in a hotel. A New York sportswriter dubbed him “the Tabasco Kid” for his hot temper and “peppery” style of play. The Highlanders were pennant contenders in 1904 and “the Tabasco Kid” contributed by hitting .263 with a .337 OBP while ranking fifth among AL shortstops in assists (432) and third in double plays (44). He also damaged the club’s pennant chances due to missing numerous games due to injuries and suspensions for his conduct on the field. Elberfeld was also adept at getting on base by being hit by pitches, all while appearing to be seeking to avoid being struck, and then berating the offending hurlers after being hit. In 1905 he batted .262 with a .329 OBP, 18 doubles, 18 stolen bases, and 53 RBIs. The Highlanders were strong pennant contenders in 1906, but Elberfeld was suspended for eight key September games following the second of two incidents involving him and umpire Silk O’Laughlin. For the year he hit .306 in 99 games with a .378 OBP. Fearless in the face of oncoming baserunners in turning double plays, Elberfeld was often spiked and began wearing a shin guard on his right leg in 1907. He also feuded with several teammates and ran afoul of owner Frank Farrell, who suspended him for several weeks in July and August due to lackadaisical play until he apologized to manager Clark Griffith. For the season he batted .271 with a .343 OBP, placed third among AL shortstops in putouts (295), and second in errors (52). Offered a $2700 contract in 1908, with a $1000 incentive bonus for staying out of trouble, Elberfeld suffered an injury that effectively ended his season on May 1. But with the forced resignation of Griffith as manager in June, “the Tobasco Kid” was named manager of the Highlanders with disastrous results. The club went 27-71 under his direction and he was replaced in 1909, although he remained as a player. Often playing at third base to reduce wear on his oft-injured legs, he hit .237 and was sold to the Washington Senators in the offseason. He lasted two seasons with Washington before being sold to Montgomery of the Southern Association in 1912. He played and managed for several more minor league seasons and proved effective at developing young talent. For his major-league career, Elberfeld batted .271 with 1235 hits that included 169 doubles, 56 triples, and 10 home runs. He scored 647 runs and compiled 535 RBIs, 213 stolen bases, 427 walks, and was hit by 165 pitches. His OBP was .355. With the Tigers he batted .290 with 305 hits, 175 runs scored, 43 doubles, 20 triples, 4 home runs, 159 RBIs, 48 stolen bases, 123 walks, a .376 OBP, and was hit by 23 pitches. A fiery, aggressive, and temperamental player, he proved surprisingly adept at working with youths, and regularly directed baseball camps until his death at age 68 due to pneumonia in 1944. His five daughters were also very athletic and competed in various sports, also forming a basketball team in Chattanooga called the “Elberfeld Sisters”. One wonders if they were as aggressive as their father.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.