Baseball cards have a long history in Traverse City, Michigan dating back over 100 years. Some of the earliest baseball cards produced featured players from the minor leagues who played for teams based in Northern Michigan.
One of the first minor league teams in the area was the Traverse City Resorters who began play in the Northern Michigan League in 1905. While they did not last long, folding after the 1907 season, they helped spark interest in the sport in the region. Cards featuring Resorters players from that era are quite rare and collectors prize any examples that still exist today.
In the 1930s and 40s, Traverse City was home to teams in the Michigan State League known as the Traverse City Wolverines and Traverse City Cherokees. Players for these clubs occasionally received regional recognition on baseball cards produced by companies like Goudey and Fleer. Some notable names included on cards from this period include pitcher Jack Kralick who went on to play in the majors and outfielder Dick Wakefield who had a long minor league career.
Topps baseball cards began including players from the Class D Northern Michigan League on their cards starting in the 1950s. This elevated the profile of the minor league teams and players in the area. Teams like the Traverse City Blues, Traverse City Pirates and Traverse City Beachers were represented on Topps and Bowman baseball cards during this era. Stars of the local minor league circuit like pitcher Jim Lonborg, who went on to win the 1967 AL Cy Young Award with Boston, gained additional notoriety through their cardboard appearances.
In the 1960s, Traverse City was home to the Traverse City Beachers of the Northern League, a Class C circuit. The Beachers were affiliated with several major league teams including the Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox. Topps featured many Beachers players on their cards during this time period. Perhaps the most famous Traverse City alum from the 1960s set was Denny McLain. McLain went 31-6 for the Detroit Tigers in 1968 to win the AL MVP and Cy Young awards after starting his pro career with the Beachers in 1960.
The 1970s saw the arrival of the Traverse City Troopers to the area, playing in the Midwest League, a Class A circuit. The Troopers were affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates and players received widespread distribution in the annual Topps and Donruss sets. Some notable Trooper alumni who appeared on 1970s cards included Dave Parker, John Candelaria and Bill Madlock, all future MLB all-stars. The Troopers helped sustain local interest in the sport through the decade.
Traverse City minor league baseball continued strong into the 1980s with the arrival of the Traverse City Explorers to town. Playing in the Midwest League, the Explorers were affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Topps and Donruss cranked out cards each year featuring the up and coming Explorers prospects. Future big leaguers like Dave Stieb, Rob Ducey, and Mike Timlin all had their rookie card appearances while toiling for Traverse City.
The 1990s saw the return of the Traverse City Beachers franchise, now playing in the Frontier League, an independent circuit. Players in this era no longer received widespread distribution through the major card companies but regional Michigan-based companies like Grand Rapids Sports Cards and Northern Michigan Sports Cards produced sets highlighting Beachers players. These sets helped keep the local minor league stars in the spotlight.
Into the 2000s and 2010s, Traverse City has been home to the Traverse City Beach Bums of the Frontier League. While players do not receive the national distribution of decades past, the Beach Bums have remained popular. Regional companies like Northwoods Sports Cards have continued producing sets each year to serve collectors in Northern Michigan. The Beach Bums also have an annual baseball card day each season that is a popular promotion attracting fans and collectors from around the region.
Over its long baseball history, Traverse City has been well-represented in the hobby of baseball cards. From turn of the century minor leaguers to stars of the 1960s and 1970s, local fans have been able to follow the careers and collect representations of players who performed in their hometown on cardboard. Regional companies have also helped sustain interest by producing sets tailored for the Northern Michigan market. Baseball cards have been intertwined with the sport in Traverse City for decades.
