Kid Elberfeld ✝

Elberfeld was given the nickname "The Tabasco Kid" because of his fiery temper. He was known for his ferocious verbal, and sometimes physical, assaults on umpires. On one occasion, while in the minors, Elberfeld threw a lump of mud into the umpire\'s open mouth. Later in his career, Elberfeld assaulted umpire Silk O\'Loughlin and had to be forcibly removed by police; Elberfeld was suspended for just 8 games. Records show he was tossed from a major league game 22 times as a player and 4 times as a manager.\n', ' Elberfeld broke into organized baseball in 1892 in Clarkson, Tennessee. He was so highly regarded as a prospect that a scout for the Philadelphia Phillies recommended signing him over another shortstop prospect, Honus Wagner(A Hall of Famer). Elberfeld played only 14 games for the Phillies in 1898 before being sent to the Detroit Tigers, then a minor league team in the Western Conference. A year later, Elberfeld was purchased from Detroit by the Cincinnati Reds. Elberfeld lasted only 41 games in Cincinnati.\n', ' Prior to the 1900 season, the Reds sent Elberfeld back to Detroit, then still part of the Western League. Elberfeld remained with Detroit when they joined the newly formed American League in 1901. He was the Tigers\' starting shortstop during their first two seasons as a Major League team. In the team\'s debut, on April 25, 1901, the Tigers committed 7 errors, including 3 by Elberfeld. Later in the season, Elberfeld had 12 assists in a game on September 2, 1901. Elberfeld went on to bat .308 (with 76 RBIs and a .397 On Base Percentage) in the Tigers\' inaugural season, becoming the Tigers\' first team batting leader and its first .300 hitter.\n', '