Books and articles about Elmer Flick

Largely unknown by modern fans, Flick was one of the great all-around performers at the turn of the century. In 1905 he won the AL batting title with a .306 average, the lowest mark to take the crown until Carl Yastrzemski's .301 in 1968. Flick narrowly missed the NL title in 1900, batting .378 to Honus Wagner's .381. After compiling a .344 lifetime average in the NL (1898-1901), Flick jumped to the Philadelphia Athletics, following Nap Lajoie, who'd gone a year earlier. When the Phillies obtained an injunction barring the jumpers from playing in Philadelphia, both Lajoie and Flick, an Ohioan, wound up in Cleveland.

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In his first six seasons in Cleveland, Flick never batted below .297. The 5'6", lefthanded-hitting right fielder used a thick-handled bat, enabling him to get solid hits on inside pitches. On July 6, 1902, Flick became the first American Leaguer to hit three triples in one game, a feat he repeated in the NL. The speedster set a ML record by leading the AL in triples three consecutive seasons (1905-07). He also led the circuit in stolen bases twice (1904, 1906) and runs scored once (1906).

Following the 1907 season, Detroit manager Hughie Jennings offered Ty Cobb to Cleveland for Flick, but Cleveland declined the offer. The 21-year-old Cobb had just won his first batting title (.350), while the 31-year-old Flick managed .302. Cobb, however, was despised by his teammates. The likable Flick stayed in Cleveland. The rest of his career was plagued by a mysterious stomach ailment. He played just 99 more games over three seasons, but dragged down his lifetime average. Flick was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1963. (ME)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » May 31, 1900: The Phillies’ Nap Lajoie suffers a broken hand in a fist fight with teammate Elmer Flick. Nap is sidelined and suspended without pay for five weeks. » April 21, 1902: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, reversing a lower court's decision, grants a permanent injunction (effective only in Pennsylvania) barring jumpers Nap Lajoie, Chick Fraser, and Bill Bernhard from playing for the A's, or any team but the Phillies. Not mentioned, but covered by the decision, are: Elmer Flick, Monte Cross, and Bill Duggleby of the A's; Ed Delahanty, Al Orth, Harry Wolverton, and Jack Townsend of Washington; Ed McFarland (White Stockings) and Red Donahue (Browns). » May 7, 1902: Elmer Flick signs with Cleveland. Sporting Life says that A's officials "presumably consented" to the move. » October 6, 1905: The Athletics clinch the pennant while losing to the Washington Nationals, as St. Louis defeats the White Sox. Elmer Flick of the Cleveland Naps leads the AL in batting with a .306 mark. » March 7, 1908: Near Lexington, Kentucky, the train carrying the Cleveland Naps is struck by two bricks shattering windows. Elmer Flick, Bill Bradley, and Harry Bay are hit by the flying glass while playing euchre, but no injuries occur. Tomorrow, the team will arrive safely in Macon, Georgia, for spring training. » September 30, 1945: George Stirnweiss of the Yankees gets 3 hits on the final day to raise his average to .309. The White Sox games are washed out, depriving the veteran Tony Cuccinello of a shot at the title. The only other .300 hitter playing full time is Johnny Dickshot. Neither Cuccinello or Dickshot ever play another game in the ML. Only Elmer Flick in 1905 and Carl Yastrzemski in 1968 ever lead the AL with a lower average than Stirnweiss, but the latter also leads the AL with 195 hits, 107 runs, 22 triples, 301 SB, 33 TB, and a .476 SA. » January 27, 1963: The Hall of Fame Special Veterans Committee votes in Sam Rice, Eppa Rixey, Elmer Flick, and John Clarkson.