Norwich bulletin., 1911-09-01
THE GAME HAS CHANGED
And so Kid EIberfeId Of st. Louis Has
Adopted More Peaeeable Tactics.

Nv
berfeld of several years ago did not Sc.
into some argument with the umpire.
But no more, says the ST. Louis Post
Dispatch
He realizes that the game has
changed since he began scrapping with
and he's the truly peaceable player
nowadays.
While Elberfeld admits that he had
probably more than his share of the
tits with the arbiters, he declares that
he wasn't ever as much the, ball field
rowdy as he was often pictured. Nor
man also appreciates the fact that he
has earned quite q reputation as the
umpire batter, and, to use his own ex-
preston, he is now trying to live
down his past life"
THE games different now" said Ell
berfeld, who was here with the Wash
ington team last week. you can't
fight the unlpires and win ball games
now. But several years ago you had
to fight or lose.
I have often been asked whether it
did any good to threaten the umpires
and occasionally take wa1lop at one
of them. My answer is that if you
didn't stand up for your rights they'd
give you the worst of it. If an UNI
pire made a mistake in the rowdy
around him and threaten his life.
Would that scare him? I should say
yes, and the next time a close decision
came up he would even up for the bad
one previously handed down.
Il still give the umpires arguments.
But not like in the olden days. IN
fact, an umpire, If he's a good AMI
fair one, rather likes a little calldown
now and then. He doesn't want you
to call him so the stands can hear
or get next to the fact that he pulled
a bad one, but if you say Here. old
I1oy t1rnt t,nl
handed US that time; watch out next
time he'll respect you.
Il was often accused of things I was
not guilty of years ago. [ always was
being flnad and suspended. One of the
plays that I distinctly remember and
that always causes me to laugh hap
pened one day when Oslo Shrek was
spiked.
sI was then with the Detroit club,
and three of US got pocketed at third
base. I happened to be the last man
Rather. had run around from first
told the other fellows to dash for
home, thinking that not mora than one
of US would be put OUT.
The fellow who had been on third
bumped Shrek at the plate and spilled
him. besides spil1ing him. The next
fellow and also tore in, not gently
and were safe. As was sliding over
the plate saw a strip of Osie's stock
ing hanging down his leg. and when
got up I was surprised to have him
accuse me of doing the spiking. I got
a ten day layoff for that.
But I'm behaving myself now. Like
a good many players. I wouldn't be
sore if got hold of a good ball club.
My former reputation may work
against me. but I'm trying to prove
that TIM not as much of a rowdy as I
was painted"
On the ball field E1berfeld is any
thing but the same scrappv fellow he
was with the Detroit. Philadelphia and
New York clubs. He's as mild and
gentle as they make them. Elberfeld
is often referred to as st. Louis bov
but such is not the case He lived there
with his parents several years ago.
but was born in Virginia
Incidentally Elberfe1d is probably
the champion daddy of the big leagues.
He is the father Of six living children
He lost three boys. and of those re-
naming five are girls.
He has a small farm just outside the
District Of Columbia, and has game
chickens. dogs. cows. pigs and. as he
expresses it. young menagerie." Ell
berfeld's hobby for while was the
raising of hogs. Now he has turned
to chickens and dogs.