Shortstop, New
York Highlanders
Age: 29 (April 13)
2nd season
with Highlanders (first complete)
Bats – Right,
Throws – Right
Height: 5’7” Weight: 158
Prior to 1904:
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 as he hit .308
with 21 doubles, 11 triples, 3 home runs, 76 RBIs, 23 stolen bases, a .397 OBP,
and a .428 slugging percentage. He led the AL’s shortstops in putouts (332) and
double plays (62). 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.
1904 Season Summary
Appeared in 122
games
SS – 122
[Bracketed
numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]
Batting
Plate
Appearances – 512
At Bats – 445
Runs – 55
Hits – 117
Doubles – 13
Triples – 5
Home Runs – 2
[20, tied with sixteen others]
RBI – 46
Bases on Balls
– 37
Int. BB – N/A
Strikeouts – 20
Stolen Bases – 18
Caught Stealing
– N/A
Average - .263
OBP - .337 [14]
Slugging Pct. -
.328
Total Bases – 146
GDP – N/A
Hit by Pitches
– 13 [3]
Sac Hits – 16
Sac Flies – N/A
Midseason
snapshot: 2B – 6, HR – 2, RBI – 24, AVG - .292,. OBP - .367
---
Most hits, game
– 4 (in 5 AB) vs. Cleveland 5/14
Longest hitting
streak – 6 games
HR at home – 2
HR on road – 0
Most home runs,
game – 1 (in 4 AB) vs. Cleveland 5/11, (in 3 AB) vs. Detroit 7/20
Multi-HR games
– 0
Most RBIs, game
– 4 vs. Cleveland 5/14
Fielding
Chances – 717
Put Outs – 237
Assists – 432
Errors – 48
DP – 44
Pct. - .933
---
The Highlanders
went 92-59 to finish second in the AL, 1.5 games behind the pennant-winning
Boston Americans while leading the league in hits (1354) and fewest batting
strikeouts (552). The scrappy Highlanders contended from the start and were
locked in a tight battle with the Americans and Chicago White Sox in August. By
September the race was between the Highlanders and Boston, as each took turns
in first place. A half-game behind following two losses in a mid-September road
trip to Boston, RHP Jack Chesbro, pitching on two days’ rest, put them ahead by
a half-game with a home win in the climactic series against the Americans. With
the team’s co-owner having rented out Hilltop Park to Columbia University for a
football game, the next game in the series was transferred to Boston, creating
a double-header to make up for a June rainout. Chesbro, instructed by manager
Clark Griffith to remain in New York and rest up, took the train to Boston,
insisted on starting, and was rocked by the Americans in the first game of the
double-header. Boston won the
darkness-shortened nightcap as well to go up by 1.5 games as the clubs returned
to New York for a season-capping double-header, which the Highlanders needed to
sweep to capture the pennant. With Chesbro on the mound and the score tied at
2-2 in the top of the ninth and a Boston runner on third, Chesbro uncorked a
spitball that went over the catcher’s head and was scored a wild pitch,
allowing the Americans to take the lead. New York was unable to score in the
bottom of the ninth, giving Boston a 3-2 win and the pennant. (Later claims
that Chesbro’s wayward pitch should have been ruled a passed ball on catcher
Jack Kleinow, Elberfeld, who had an excellent vantage point to see the pitch
from his shortstop position, was quoted as saying “that ball rode so far over
Kleinow’s head that he couldn’t have caught it standing on a stepladder.”) The Highlanders won the meaningless nightcap
in 10 innings to finish 1.5 games back. Elberfeld damaged the club’s pennant
chances due to missing numerous games due to injuries and suspensions for his
conduct on the field.
Aftermath of 1904:
Elberfeld was 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 Tabasco 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 Highlanders he batted .268 with 647 hits, 330 runs scored, 89 doubles, 28 triples, 4 home runs, 257 RBIs, 117 stolen bases, 182 walks, a .340 OBP, and was hit by 81 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, 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.
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