3rd Base Tavern

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Posted By: Glen V

Anyone seen one of these or know anything about it?

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Posted By: Rob Dewolf

Glen, as a collector of pre-1950 Cleveland Indians memorabilia, I wish I could provide some morsel of insight. But all I can offer is that having lived in northeast and central Ohio nearly all my life, I've not seen another. Any idea whether the "3rd Base Tavern" was located in Cleveland, or was it in Wisconsin (Lutzke's home state)? Either way, as an Indians collector, I think it's great.

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Posted By: leon

What kind of card front is that? It looks like a cross between a W572 and an E121?

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Posted By: Chris Counts

I've always been partial to third basemen, so I thought I'd do a little research ... it turns out there have been a number of "Third Base" taverns. Perhaps the most interesting is the one owned by "Nuf 'Ced" McGreevey, one of the most famous of the early Red Sox fans. I presume his was located either in or near Boston, MA. "Nuf 'Ced" makes an appearance in the book, "The Glory of their Times," when he organizes a fan boycott during a World Series in response to the team not reserving better seats for his boisterous "Royal Rooters."

Evidentally, there are at least two other "3rd Base" taverns still in existence — one in Providence, RI and one in Jeffersonville, IN ...

I'm guessing Rube Lutzke's tavern was located in Wisconsin. He was born in Milwaukee and he died in a suburn of Milwaukee in 1938. There is a Swan Road and a Highway 55 just south of Green Bay, and although they don't appear to meet, perhaps they once did. Just a guess ...

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Posted By: Rob Dewolf

The insight provided by Chris about the location of the tavern likely being in Wisconsin would explain in part why I've never seen any of these business cards turn up in the Cleveland area.

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Posted By: Todd Schultz

way to go Glen. It appears it is indeed a business card. His obit notes that he ran a tavern near Milwaukee "in recent years". "http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Lutzke.Walter.Obit.html"


I assume this was issued after Lutzke's career, which spanned from 1923-1927. Prohibition ran from about 1920-1933, so it is unlikely a tavern would be advertising during that period. Since it was noted that he died in March,1938, it would seem this business card could be dated to somewhere between 1933 and 1938.