# The Golden Era of Baseball & Bicycles



## Nick-theCut (Jun 19, 2014)

The golden era of baseball is defined as 
The years between 1920-1960's.  Prior to this era, more around WWI, you had what they call "the Dead Ball era"
With baseball dating back as far as our beautiful antique and vintage bicycles, I thought it would be fun to dig up some pictures and stories of Americas two favorite past times.

This has been on my mind for awhile, but was spurred on by this years celebration of 100 years of baseball at Chicago's Wrigley Field.








The Cubs threw an amazing commemorative ceremony before a game.  Olde timey music was playing and some guests dressed in period clothes.  It really took me back and all I wanted to do was flip through my 1914 Ranger Bicycles catalog.

I'd like to keep this to the earlier days.  I'm not interested what kind of bike Derek Jeter rides on the weekend, or a asterisk conversation comparing Lance Armstrong to Alex Rodriguez.
I'm talking Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams into the 60's if you like.  You know, cut it off when bicycles start to be less classic 
I'm excited to see what gets dug up.

The coolest image I've found so far is this that of the most talked about baseball slugger of all time, "The Babe"
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. was born in 1895 and his debut in baseball in 1914 with the Red Sox.  It was said that He spent his first professional baseball paycheck on buying a bicycle.  This is said to be him in 1914 at spring training.




Other fun ones of him:








~ Nick


----------



## bulldog1935 (Jun 19, 2014)

all fun - thanks for the post.  

Here's a fun book
http://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Rides-Bike-Cycling-Stars/dp/1883318637 
Especially if you don't mind looking at Carole Lombard on the cover.


----------



## OldRider (Jun 19, 2014)

In the fall of 1949 in honour of the Yankee clipper the Yankees held a Joe DiMaggio day, he is pictured here with the mayor of NYC, Mel Allen and others as he receives gifts including a new bicycle for his son Joe Jr  By the way Nick, great idea for a thread! I wanna see pics....


----------



## fordmike65 (Jun 19, 2014)

bulldog1935 said:


> all fun - thanks for the post.
> 
> Here's a fun book
> http://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Rides-Bike-Cycling-Stars/dp/1883318637
> Especially if you don't mind looking at Carole Lombard on the cover.




Great book! My girl gave it to me for my B-day last year. Lots of great pics


----------



## bulldog1935 (Jun 19, 2014)

Babe Ruth notwithstanding, I'd just rather look at Carole Lombard on a bike



what dog?


----------



## Nick-theCut (Jun 19, 2014)

bulldog1935 said:


> Babe Ruth notwithstanding, I'd just rather look at Carole Lombard on a bike
> View attachment 156511
> what dog?




Stay on topic sir.  You've always got Ivo's Babes and Bicycles thread if that's your mood 

They call this the $5000 noise maker





~ Nick


----------



## filmonger (Jun 19, 2014)

My Great Grandfathers Brother Robert Cress was a Busher and Professional in the PCL and others. He was a Cathcher by Trade and was on the 1918 Championship Team of the Salt Lake City Bees. Here is his Zeenut Card - Long story short he then ended up Bootlegging to make ends meet ( Spokane in the day was full of them - He played for the Indans too ) ....then escaped from 5 prisons untill he ended up in Alcatraz... He was treated well there as Capone used to bet on the games in the yard - there were also a number of other Pro ball players on the Rock then. Anyway the bicycle connection is these interesting images from Ai Weiwei's Exhibition on Alcatraz and the image of the Kids on Bikes during the Indian occupation there.


----------



## Balloontyre (Jun 19, 2014)

*The Babe,*

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/6...cise-bike_takes-sauna-bath_wear-boxing-gloves


----------



## SirMike1983 (Jun 19, 2014)

OldRider said:


> In the fall of 1949 in honour of the Yankee clipper the Yankees held a Joe DiMaggio day, he is pictured here with the mayor of NYC, Mel Allen and others as he receives gifts including a new bicycle for his son Joe Jr  By the way Nick, great idea for a thread! I wanna see pics....




Interestingly that looks like a Columbia bicycle, built in Westfield, MA... solid Red Sox country up there. Irony...


----------



## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Jun 19, 2014)

Nick-theCut said:


> Stay on topic sir.  You've always got Ivo's Babes and Bicycles thread if that's your mood
> 
> They call this the $5000 noise maker
> 
> ...



My dad remembered taping mickey mantels rookie card to his bedroom door...them using the other two as exactly how this one is being used....He hates himself now....I'll never forgive him....ever....

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


----------



## Nick-theCut (Jun 20, 2014)

Great stories so far guys.  Keep them coming!  Even if the connections are abstract ⚾️

......Bob Feller and Cleveland Welding Co......

Bob Feller 




Named "Bullet Bob"
Born in 1918
Debut with the Indians in 1936
He played with them his whole career from 1936-41...war...1945-56
18 seasons played, 8X All-Star, 7X strikeout champion.
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962
This guy was no stranger to endorsements.
Fitting that a Cleveland Indian would endorse the Cleveland Welding Co.'s Roadmaster luxury liner






These advertisements were all postwar when bicycles and the economy in general were booming.
1947



1949



and more... Geez Bob, did they have you on their payroll?










~ Nick


----------



## Nick-theCut (Jun 20, 2014)

I'm on vacation for my sister-in-law's wedding in San Francisco.  I took a run today to golden gate park and found this cool dead ball era statue






Funny how things find you 
Everyone here rides bikes, despite the cities hill nature. (Lame bike tie in) Ciao


~ Nick


----------



## Rivnut (Jun 20, 2014)

If you ever get to Detroit, make sure that when you take in the Henry Ford Museum, that you also take in Greenfield Village.  The last time we went we saw the Toledo Muffins play the Deerfield Lah-De-Dahs in a 1880's era baseball game.  The field, the uniforms, the rules, and the umpire make it a sight to be seen.  You're out if you hussle.  You're out if the ball is caught on one bounce.  If you're the 'striker', you can call for as many pitches as you want until you get one where you want it.  You can only strike out swinging, no called strikes.  The game today is not what it was.  But it's a hoot to watch.

The Wright Brothers', yep, Orville and Wilbur, bicycle shop is in Greenfield Village as well.  There, I tied the two together.

Ed


----------



## Nick-theCut (Jun 22, 2014)

Haha!
1800's collide with the 70's.



~ Nick


----------



## Nick-theCut (Jun 23, 2014)

Joe DiMaggio (dark suit)
Starting a 1939 Six Day Race in New York



You could do a whole thread on six day racing and velodromes. Cool stuff


~ Nick


----------



## filmonger (Jul 14, 2014)

Here is an Interesting Photo of the Eclipse Machine Co Team in 1919.... I think we all get the connection here being Morrow Hubs.


----------



## ricobike (Jul 14, 2014)

Nick-theCut said:


> Haha!
> 1800's collide with the 70's.
> 
> 
> ...




Jose Cardenal!  I can see him doing stuff like this .


----------



## 2jakes (Jul 14, 2014)

*Virtual Baseball: 1924*

*​...  demonstration of the 1920s mania for BASEBALL..before television & radio was just starting to be popular !*





close ups ...Yankees 5-1 






 




btw:  I use my "repo" baseball cards on my 1920s Iver...for show only.



( I just can't bring myself to letting it hit the spokes to get that "motorcycle" sound that I stupidly did as a kid !)


----------



## mickeyc (Jul 14, 2014)

*Bob Feller*

You will never meet another hall of famer nicer than Bob.  My son was a real baseball fan and I used to take him to many of the baseball card shows where some ball player would sit isolated and sign autographs for as much as $5.00 each (Hank Aaron).  Bob Feller would set up a card table and sit with his wife and sign anything and chat with any kid...for FREE!  A real class act.

Mike


----------



## filmonger (Aug 1, 2014)

Baseball & Bicycles are rather intertwined in bicycle history through A.G. Spalding in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Spalding started as a professional baseball player himself before he entered the Bicycle manufacturing business.





Here is a Photo of the National League Ball produced by Spalding





Photo's of ladies making the Ball's in Spaldings Factory


----------



## filmonger (Aug 1, 2014)

More from the web...









Way back when the 20th Century ended, the SABR people got together and picked the most significant contributors to Baseball in the 19th Century. Henry Chadwick won, there was a tie between Harry Wright and Albert G. Spalding for second. I’m not sure I’d place Chadwick above Wright and Spalding, but it’s a matter of taste. There’s certainly no argument that Spalding was a major contributor to the origins of Major League Baseball. He owned the Chicago White Stockings (now the Cubs), promoted a 19th Century around-the-world tour to tout baseball, founded a major sporting goods company that bore his name, was instrumental in forming and promoting the Abner Doubleday myth (OK, so not everything he did was positive), led the attack that crushed the Brotherhood union (see what I mean about not everything being positive), and finally made the Hall of Fame. But that’s not what I want to dwell on. Spalding was also a heck of a ball player.

Spalding was an early amateur and later professional who caught the eye of Harry Wright. In 1871, the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players was formed and Wright took over as manager of the Boston team. He convinced Spaulding to come on board as the team’s pitcher. It was a great choice, because Spalding became the premier pitcher in the Association and dominated the league in a way that no other pitcher has ever duplicated.

In the five years the Association existed, Spalding pitched in 282 games, starting 264. His record? How about 204-53 for a winning percentage of .794? Now this was an era when there was only one pitcher and he threw from 45 feet away, but those are still astounding numbers. In the five years of the Association Spaulding won, in order, 19, 38, 41, 52, and 54 games. He lost, again in order, 10, 8, 14, 16, and 5. Read that last pair closely. In 1875, Spaulding went 54-5 (.915 winning percentage). There are some caveats here. His team, the Red Stockings, were a lot better than their competitors and the number of games played by the team increased every year. But part of the reason the team was a lot better than everyone else is because they had Spalding and no one else did. His ERA for the five seasons was 2.21 (ERA+ of 131). He struck out only 207 men in the five seasons, topping out at 75 in 1875. But the pitching rules were different then and there simply weren’t a lot of strikeouts.  He has one of my favorite set of numbers that, to me, help illustrate just how different 1870s baseball was from the modern game. For the life of the Association he gave up 1552 runs, only 577 earned (37%). That means a lot of guys were hitting the ball off him, and a lot of his teammates weren’t catching them. As a hitter he averaged .323 with an OPS of .721 (OPS+ of 121).

He pitched one complete season in the newly formed National League (1876). He went 47-12 for the White Stockings (Cubs), had an ERA of 1.75 (ERA+ of 140), completed 53 of 60 starts, plus one relief job (he didn’t get the save), had eight shutouts (which was tough in 1876), and the Cubs won the first NL pennant (wonder if the Cubs could use Spalding today?). The next season he appeared in four games, started one, won it, picked up a save, but spent most of the season as the first baseman. In 1878 he played one game at second base, became club secretary, then he took his money and bought the club and went on to glory (or infamy if you were a Brotherhood fan).

Spalding is  one of those guys that it’s difficult to like. He was cold, aristocratic, tough-minded, and in the minds of many of his players a tough SOB. But he was, despite all that, one great pitcher.


Spalding along with Col Pope did their best to Corner the market.


----------



## Nick-theCut (Aug 4, 2014)

Some more advertisements.
Looks as though baseball was a common pairing with bicycles.  America's two favorite past times.


----------



## filmonger (Sep 4, 2014)

*Racycle Baseball Team*

Racycle Team.....





Looks like some of the Same guys who were working at Miami in 1906





Here was the Miami Cycle baseball Team in 1905


----------



## Nick-theCut (Sep 5, 2014)

filmonger said:


> Racycle Team.....
> 
> View attachment 167545
> 
> ...




Beautiful find!  Keep up the good work [emoji106]


~ Nick


----------



## Wcben (Sep 5, 2014)

I have that same image of the Racycle team on the top but it was indicated that it was a San Francisco based team sponsored by Racycle (or the distributor).


----------



## fordsnake (Sep 5, 2014)

Here's another Spalding bicycle anecdote...they were assigned a patent for painting bike frames with contrasting spears.


----------



## filmonger (Sep 5, 2014)

The images I have put on the thread are from the Middleton OH library collection and the middle image is a photo of the miami employees of that same year. They have a few more interesting images - one of the miami wheel building section with the guys building wheels and another of the merkel motorcycle line a few years later and the little kid in the middle of the baseball pic looks like one of the guys in that motorcycle line tooo! I assume these are all local as they are part of a local George c Crout estate collection donated the library. I also assume the ball club was similar to the eclipse ( morrow ) team as the industrialists would have wanted to keep up with their counterparts. Possibly they were part of the Ohio - Penn League....though they are not listed as far as I can tell.  I'll look into the San Francisco connection and see if I can find anything - I could easily be wrong.  I have been researching the league at this time for quite a while now - my great grandfathers brother played on quite a few of the PCL teams on the west coast as well as knocking around as a busher in the catching position.

http://middletownlibrary.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/search/searchterm/Racycle

Very interesting patent info on Spalding Fordsnake ... 




Wcben said:


> I have that same image of the Racycle team on the top but it was indicated that it was a San Francisco based team sponsored by Racycle (or the distributor).


----------



## filmonger (Sep 12, 2014)

Interestingly enough i think there my have been a few Racycle teams around in the early days of ball...... This Racycle team was an Amateur Team in Southern CA around 1908 & 1909, 1910. This was at a time when Professional Leagues were having issues. Many amateur teams & leagues where highly attended and many of the Professional players / Bushers also played these teams. This Recycle Team was in the Interurban League & Valley League - maybe others.

This is taken from the LA Herald Aug 1909


----------



## filmonger (Sep 12, 2014)

*Recycles June 1909*

Here they are in 1909 June 21 - from the LA Herald











Oct 10 1908 - LA Herald





Oct 24 1908 - LA Herald





July 4 1910 - LA Herald


----------



## Ray (Sep 12, 2014)

2jakes said:


> *​...  demonstration of the 1920s mania for BASEBALL..before television & radio was just starting to be popular !*
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Wow, somebody must have made a fortune selling hats back then!


----------



## Rivnut (Sep 12, 2014)

Ray said:


> Wow, somebody must have made a fortune selling hats back then!




No self respecting man in the U.S. would think of stepping out without wearing a hat of somekind until JFK's initial inaguration in Jan. of 1960.  When he appeared at the podium to be sworn in as President and wasn't wearing a hat, the sales of hats across the country took a header to the bottom of the pool without water.


----------



## 2jakes (Sep 12, 2014)

I have seen on display at a fish restaurant, on the  walls . Photos of the prize catch of  the day
From the  20s & 30s.
All the guys were sporting  long sleeve shirts , tie or bow ties
wearing  hats.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## filmonger (Sep 12, 2014)

The official baseball hat (as we know it today) was first worn by the Brooklyn Excelsiors in the mid 1800s, but the hat first became an official part of the baseball uniform on April 24, 1849 when the New York Knickerbockers unveiled their official club uniform.


----------



## 2jakes (Sep 12, 2014)

*New York Giants 1919-1929 Cap*

After watching the "Indy" film, I have been searching for an original style cap.
I recently found this @ Cooperstown Ball Cap Co.



I also have the New York Yankees & Chicago white Sox pin-stripe caps .


----------



## filmonger (Sep 13, 2014)

*Cycling Caps*

This made me curious as to when the Cycling Cap came about - was there a possible connection to the ball cap?... Here is what I found on Wiki.

Casquette is French for "cap". In cycling jargon, it is used to refer to the traditional peaked cotton cap worn by racing cyclists.

With the introduction of compulsory cycle helmets for massed-start racing, casquettes have become less common, but most professional race outfits still have them produced in team colours for wearing on the winner's podium, for wearing under a helmet in heavy rain or for sale to the tifosi.

The casquette shields the head from strong sun and the peak can also make riding in the rain more comfortable, since drops do not fall directly into the eyes. They are sometimes worn with the peak backwards, not for reasons of fashion but because the peak then protects the neck from sunburn.

A traditional way to keep the head cool when cycling in hot conditions was to put a cabbage leaf under the casquette. However, when said cabbage was not available, riders would often turn to sheaths of mesclun.

 (_ Mesclun (French pronunciation: ​[mɛsˈklœ̃]) is a salad mix of assorted small, young salad leaves which originated in Provence, France. The traditional mix includes chervil, arugula, leafy lettuces and endive in equal proportions, but in modern iterations may include an undetermined mix of fresh and available lettuces, spinach, arugula (rocket, or roquette), Swiss chard (silver beet), mustard greens (Dijon's Child), endive, dandelion, frisée, mizuna, mâche (lamb's lettuce), radicchio, sorrel, and/or other leaf vegetables_. )





[video=youtube_share;wTTEzTkazPw]http://youtu.be/wTTEzTkazPw[/video]


----------



## Nick-theCut (Nov 20, 2014)

Dayton Sewing Machine Co. Baseball team


 (zoom in for more detail)

Now we've seen team photos from Eclispe, Racycle, Miami and Dayton.  These teams should of had a playoff to see who was the most dominant bicycle manufacting baseball team.  I'd attend.


----------



## filmonger (Nov 21, 2014)

Do you think they made the uniforms themselves....LOL?


----------



## filmonger (Dec 21, 2014)

This is the American Wood Rim Company's team photo in 1923 - one of Lobdell's interests at the time.

Lobdell's baseball team was one of the best.  Some of his summer help at the plant were semi-pro
or college players.

   Fred Warner came Onaway looking for work in 1923 and soon joined the Lobdell-Emery plant as an inspector.
Fred was also a member of their semi-pro baseball team.  Playing first base and catcher for the Onaway
Hustlers also increased the size of his paycheck.  Fred later played professional baseball for 
the Saginaw team in the Michigan-Ontario League.





Front row from left, the young boys seated are the 
House brothers.  Center row from left, Shorty Lennox, Grant Westgate, Fayne Simmons, Edward Lobdell, Harry Voorhees and Van Dusen.  Standing from left, Carl Starr, Johnson, Fred Warner, Pat O'Hara and John Stone.


----------



## Wcben (Dec 21, 2014)

Nick-theCut said:


> Beautiful find!  Keep up the good work [emoji106]
> 
> 
> ~ Nick




How cool, that stripe down the center of their shirts says "Flying"... I'd venture to guess that this is the Merkel team!


----------



## filmonger (Oct 28, 2016)

Just found an add for a bicycle cap in an 1899 mag....


----------



## 2jakes (Oct 28, 2016)

The shirt that “was never made” but wished they did.
The "Flying Merkle."


----------



## Wcben (Oct 28, 2016)

We can see that same shirt in the image that was thought to be for a Miami team.... Could be when Miami owned FM....


----------



## filmonger (Oct 29, 2016)

Above Eclipse ball player.....

Below From the Scranton Republican Feb 4th 1919


----------



## filmonger (Nov 4, 2016)




----------



## filmonger (Nov 9, 2016)

filmonger said:


> The official baseball hat (as we know it today) was first worn by the Brooklyn Excelsiors in the mid 1800s, but the hat first became an official part of the baseball uniform on April 24, 1849 when the New York Knickerbockers unveiled their official club uniform.
> 
> 
> View attachment 168686
> ...


----------



## filmonger (Nov 9, 2016)




----------



## filmonger (Feb 5, 2017)




----------



## 2jakes (Feb 5, 2017)




----------



## 2jakes (Feb 5, 2017)




----------



## bulldog1935 (Feb 6, 2017)

here is a fun store - Ebbetts Field Flannels  http://www.ebbets.com/banner_link 
They have ballcaps, logo tee shirts, and real high-quality flannels using using vintage team markings. 
I have a San Antonio Missions 1927 replica ballcap that I pack in my winter bike bag (and wore it under my helmet 2 weeks ago when were bicycling in the upper 30s).  
Also have a 1951 Tampa Smokers flannel that I wear to cigar "herfs"


----------



## 2jakes (Feb 6, 2017)

Baseball players with their bicycles. 1903


----------



## 2jakes (Feb 6, 2017)

Best seats to watch the baseball game. 1949


----------



## filmonger (Mar 30, 2017)

1894 Overman Ad


----------



## filmonger (Nov 21, 2017)

1890 Spalding Bros.... Bikes on last page.


----------

