The friendship of Norman "Kid" Elberfeld and Larry Hunter left a legacy in Minden, Louisiana. In 1938 Larry Hunter became a dedicated baseball fan. A regulation baseball field was built. Teams were organized for ages 12-18. Out of the older boys, Carter Norman, showed talent enough for Larry Hunter to enroll him in the Elberfeld Baseball School that he read about in The Sporting News. Grady Jeter was enrolled in an umpire school at the same time. They went to Florida and Larry Hunter went fishing as planned. He returned later to check on the result of his gamble. Before they left to return home, Larry Hunter had shared his pre-arranged fishing trip with Babe Ruth (see picture), Cater Norman posed with Babe Ruth (see picture) and Larry Hunter and Kid Elberfeld had made a deal to come to Minden the summer of 1940. He came in 1940, 1941, and 1943.

I was nine (9) years old, too small and not old enough to be on a team. Being Larry Hunter's son, I did some of the training sessions that were of his design. Kid was always encouraging the players, but if they did not perform as instructed, they were "ROCK" heads. The first year was so successful that he signed up to return in 1941.

By then, everyone was comfortable with him. Kid Elberfeld told the Ty Cobb Story as often as requested. By the end of the second summer the players knew baseball strategy very well. They received and gave signals, knew where to throw the ball, etc.

World War II got in the way of 1942 and he did not come. When did return in 1943 all of his baseball knowledge that was left with us was paying off with a very good American Legion team. They scheduled the Little Rock Doughboys. An article in the Little Rock paper showed the Kid and his team and titled it "The Kid Returns." He had managed the Little Rock Travelers in the early 20's. Kid Elberfeld provided the baseball seed, Larry Hunter the support and both made it grow.

At the end of his last summer, Elberfeld had become a real hero to me and a couple of hundred would-be baseball stars. He wrote on a baseball "YOUR FRIEND" KID ELBERFELD. The ink has faded, but I still have the baseball. People still ask about him today.

He was a man that was so competitive he was called "The Tabasco Kid." To do what he did here in Minden, Louisiana and just be called "Kid," he must have this final chapter recorded with all the "Ty Cobb" stories.

Related Pieces:
» Memories of Kid Elberfeld by Carter B. Norman
» Norman Arthur 'Kid' Elberfeld by Stephen P. Cole

» Ben Hunter is the Chairman of Board & CEO of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Minden, Inc.

» THE PHOTOS