Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-12
TALKING ABOUT KID"
ELbERFELD IN DETROIT
Claim He Wore Knee Pants
When He Broke Into
Base Ball.

The name OF Elberfeld-the Tabasco
Kid-has been household word for aye
these many years, that is, in every home
where base ball has been discussed, says
the Detroit Journal. One would, think
the kid was forty odd years old. He was
playing with La oie at Philadelphia be-
fore the year 1900 rolled around. He was
with Detroit, New York and is now with
Washington The latter may be his last
stand, but Kid expects to play base bal
for seven Or eight years to come, for he
is only thirty-three years old and is as
lively as a cricket and as energetic or
the ball field as at any time in his career
Manager McAleer will not permit him to
engage in any wordy arguments with the
umpires and in that way he has kept the
little fellow in the game up to the time
he hurt his hand
1t is sixteen years now since Elber-
field first broke into the game as a pro-
fessional He went from his home to
GAINESVILLE. KY, and, according to his
own story, he was a sorry looking spec
1acie when he reported to the manager
There had been wreck the night before
and instead of making the trip in a few
hours Kid was on the road all night
He was sleepy, dirty and as hungry as a
youth OF seventeen can become overnight
He wore knee trousers and the manager
looked at MIN askance when he walked
up and said: &
Are you the manager? Well, I'm Nor
man Eiberfeld. your new player"
A few minutes later Kid heard the
manager contide to one of the old play
ers that that. half pint of cider will
never do However, he gave Kid a
chance that very day and he won the
game for Clarksville. The same evening,
as they were walking along the main
street, the manager turned to Kid and
after looking him over from head to
foot. said:
Il guess you are "a ball player all
right, Kid, but if you stay with this
team you will have to wear long trou-
Sers"
I'm willing. boss replied Elberfeld.
You buy them for me. You see, I'm
dead broke and couldn't buy shoe lace
Elherfeld is little bigger today than
when he started on his long career six
teen years ago. His earthly belongings,
however, amount to considerably more
than in 1894. When Kid reported at Clarks-
vile lie was the proud owner of a base
ball cap and a pair OF shoes. Today lie is
we'll Off in this worlds goods and no
less a parsonage than Manager McAleer
of the Nationals believes that Elberfeld
will be a fixture at Washington for sew
eral years to come.
You would be surprised to see the
Kid in action. Why, he is different ball
player than when he helped shoulder the
burden with Clark Griffith at New York
and later carried it all himself He is the
equal of any third Sacker in the major
leagues and he has instilled fight and
ginger in my boys that is really good to
behold. Nobody knows any more base
ball than. Elberfeld and the younger
members OF she team are only too happy
LII h.
the Kid
Wade killifer owes much TO Elberfeld
for the improvement he has shown in
fielding this year.
killifer did not break into many games
at Detroit and last season he was sent
to Washington along with Germany
Schaefer in exchange for Jim Delehanty
When Elberfeld reported at the training
camp it did not take him long to see
killifer's great weakness, that of being
grounders. kilifer had learned to keep
his feet together. and he Yas forever
making a stab at the ball. If he was
lucky he would bag the sphere, but time
and again he booted it.
Elberfeld showed him how much easier
it would be for him to shift his feet abou,
on various kinds Of drives and Red
proved an apt pupil. Today he is a greatly
improved fielder.
lid Eloerfeld says he can't under
stand how the American League clubs
allowed Russell Ford Of the Yankees
to get away from them last spring when
Manager Stallings asked waivers on the
youngster. Kid says that Ford had the
goods last season and could have beer
developed into a classy twirier in 1906
as we'll as this year.
Ford has what Eiberfeld terms a curve
splitter He uses 1t almost exclusively
and it is a baffler in the full sense OF
the word as F'ord's six victories in a
row go to prove. However, Elberfeld
thinks that Joe Lake. formerly of the
Highlanders, and now of the Browns, is
the equal to any damp float finger in
the game
In the game he pitched against us il
started to rain the sixth inning The
score was 1 to J. and / led off with a
double 1t looked like sure enough
victory, but Lake put on steam and the
way he moved down the next three bat
ters was a caution. Gessler popped III
and five Of the six strikes were called or
l-nglaub and Schaefer. I never heard
two fellows beef more than Bob and
Germany. They roasted Tommy Con
molly who was behind the plate, TO a
nice brown.
After the game had been called on
account OF rain. Bob and Germany asked
me about Connolly's rulings on balls and
strikes. The best six strikes l ever saw,
replied