In 1921, he was doing well with an ERA of 2.19 in 24 2/3 innings, when he was traded to the Chicago Cubs. His ERA with them went up to 4.74. He was of Cherokee descent and played with other famous "Indian players" of his generation such as Ben Shaw, Moses Yellow Horse, Bill Marriot and Virgil Cheeves. He joined the Allied Forces in World War I and served for the U.S. when the Americans joined the war. For Elmer Ponder\'s baseball career, he compiled a 17-27 record, with a 3.21 earned run average, and 113 strikeouts in 378⅔ innings pitched. Ponder recalled playing an exhibition game in Cuba with Babe Ruth as being a post-career highlight, along with his providing financing to former Indian ball players from his self started Ponder Finance company, during a time banks would not provide financing to minorities. His father had owned a bank in Magnum, OK.\n', '

An alumnus of the University of Oklahoma, where he was a captain and second baseman, Ponder was born in Reed, Oklahoma. He married silent film organist, Zelpha Gledhill, in San Diego, and they had two children. Elmer Ponder had a successful automobile and finance company in Albuquerque, New Mexico and he lived there with his wife, Zelpha, until his death at the age of 80.\n', '

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