The Detroit Wheelmen was a premiere bicycle club during its era from the start of bicycling history through to the early 1920s. It was the top club in Detroit and in Michigan. Its members helped shape the city by pioneering America’s road and automobile industries.

It was much more than a group of cyclists. It was a major social club, which was reflected in their final clubhouse on Adams, where Comerica Park is today.

But they did more than ride bicycles. They hosted bike races on the national circuit. They held major boxing matches. Their annual circus became the forerunner to the Shrine Circus.

And they played semi-professional baseball.

In 1903, A. S. Burkhardt managed the Wheelmen’s baseball team and arranged an exhibition baseball game against the Detroit Tigers.

It was October 2nd, 1903 and the Tiger’s last game for the year. They’d finished the year in fifth place with 65 wins and 71 losses. With the players season over, this game was an opportunity to send them off with a little extra money.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the Wheelmen’s team had been “greatly strengthened for this game and [hoped] to give the American leaguers an argument.”

Pitching for the Tigers was their ace George Mullin, who had a 19 and 16 record, a 2.25 ERA, and 170 strikeouts. Mullin still holds records with the Tigers for most innings pitched during a season and all-time. He has the second most wins in Tiger’s history. He also helped pitch the Tigers to three Pennants (1907-1909) along side teammates Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford.

The Free Press added that having Mullin on the mound, made “the outlook for any great acquisition of cycling tallies very dubious.”

Play Ball

The game was played at Bennett Park, at the corner of Trumbull and Michigan. (In 1912 the Park eventually became Navin Field then Briggs Stadium and Tiger Stadium.)

The threatening weather and muddy conditions kept many spectators away and the Tigers won, 5 to 3.

Wheelmen pitcher Archie Neuschafer “pitched well” but his team couldn’t hit Mullin’s pitches when it counted. They left 15 men on base.

The Free Press also included this colorful write up:

The Dutchman pulled off a couple of shoe top catches that won him much applause. Donovan played Sunny Jim baseball, and helped to fill up the sacks in the ninth, to make the game interesting. Mullin, however, fanned Kustus, with a single good to tie and a double good to win. The sacks were filled in the eighth, also, but Carr pulled down a foul fly from Mogg.

“Sacks” is a reference to the bases, while Sunny Jim is a character from Force cereal advertisements. The Dutchman was apparently “Wild Bill” Donovan, who was the top Tigers pitcher behind Mullin. He had four errors playing shortstop.

This Sunday, April 22nd is the Detroit Tiger’s Ride your bike to the Ball Park day. Tickets for this event are on sale only until midnight tonight.

The Changing Gears web site posted this article about the event as well as cycling in Detroit.

The team is hosting its first Ride to the Ballpark event, testing its theory that baseball fans and bicyclists are one and the same.

“Detroit has a very cool, strong cyclist culture,” says Eli Bayless, the Tigers’ director of promotions and in-game operations.

The Tigers are offering a $14 package that includes an upper deck ticket to the game, and a ticket for a bicycle valet. Cyclists will pull up to Columbia Plaza in front of Comerica Park’s Gate A entrance, and check their bikes.

Of course you can ride to the ball park any day. On Sunday, you just won’t be able to use the valet parking without this special ticket.

There are bike racks located in the parking lots near the northwest corner of the ball park.

Group rides to the Game

There are three group rides planned to the ballpark.

• American Cycle and Fitness will lead a ride promptly starting at 11am from their Royal Oak store at 29428 Woodward Avenue, just north of 12 Mile.
• The Downtown Ferndale Bike Shop will be leaving the shop at 11:30am. Their located at 163 W. Nine Mile, just west of Woodward.
• And a group is starting at 11am with a breakfast at Louie’s Deli at Mack and Riopelle near Eastern Market. After eating, they’ll take a leisurely ride to the ballpark.

As Bayless told Changing Gears, they’re hoping this will become an annual event and spur the organization to do more to accommodate cyclists.

Like other baseball stadiums around the country, the Detroit Tigers are looking at steps they can take to reduce their environmental impact of the games.

And to help highlight their efforts, they hosted a Going, Going, Green event at Comerica Park.

The event included many green-oriented booths including one for the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance (MTGA). I was at the booth for Saturday and Sunday to share information on trail efforts throughout Detroit as well as Michigan.

While there, I had a opportunity to discuss bike parking at Comerica Park with Tigers management. I suggested that next year’s Going, Going Green event have guarded valet parking for bikes, but the discussion shifted to how can we improve bike parking for all of the Tiger home games.

Stay tuned…