Fifteen Percent Off

So, I got this tobacco card at fifteen percent off... quite literally!

This T206 Doc Marshall that you see above came to me at an extreme discount and, I'm sure (as long as you have eyes) you can probably guess why it was marked down.  However, it's not not too often that one can add an original card from this iconic set for less than the prices of a pack of Stadium Club.  Thus, when I saw this "SUPER LOW GRADE" Doc listed on Ebay with an auction hovering around a couple of bucks, I pounced.  When the dust settled, I ended up victorious and all it cost me was a crisp five dollar bill.  I mean, I've certainly spent more money on dumber things.

Even better, before I completed the transaction, Ebay provided a 15% off coupon for all of it's patrons.  That's when I knew that this purchase was kismet, as the original listing even mentioned, "I would say 15% of the card is missing so it is priced to sell."  Fifteen percent off on a card that was literally fifteen percent off... isn't that a bizarre bit of symmetry?

At any rate, $4.25 for a bonafide T206?  That's a hard deal to walk away from.

Just for yucks, here's what my T206 would have looked like before it was torn in two.  I wonder what ever happened to the other portion?  Also, why was it ripped apart it the first place?  The world may never know.

At any rate, besides the cushy price point, I felt comfortable enough to add Doc to my collection because enough of his face was visible to maintain his identity.  I suppose that had more of his face or his entire head had been taken with the other chunk that I would have walked away from the purchase.  As it stands, enough of the player and card left behind is recognizable enough for my cheap ass!

Speaking of recognizable, the back side of the card clearly identifies this piece as a Piedmont card.  Despite that, as rough as the card looks from the front, the back may actually be worse:

More .gif power!  I'm definitely getting some mileage out of the video editing software today.

It appears as though this card was pasted into an album of some sort, judging by the extra paper attached to the back as well as the paper loss sprinkled throughout the surface.  Perhaps that's how the card ended up being torn in the first place; a careless attempt to free Doc from his paper prison ended up ripping him to pieces instead of rescuing him.  That's what I would posit, anyway.

I guess turn of the century kiddies didn't have UltraPro pages to display their treasures, did they?

Anyway, there's not much more I can say about this card; so, how about we take this opportunity to delve deeper into the career of it's subject - William Riddle "Doc" Marshall:

Here's a clearer look at the face of today's hero.

William Marshall was a substitute catcher and outfielder for several teams during the early days of the 20th century.  The back up played his first games in the Majors for the Phillies in 1904, before being purchased by John McGraw's New York Giants mid-season.  His obituary claims that Marshall came to town in the same transaction that brought Christy Mathewson to his famed home; however, I don't see how that is possible, as Christy had already been in NY for four years, at that point.  Anyway, Doc was barely in New York long enough to unpack his bags, as he was loaned out to the Boston Beaneaters after just a single game for the Gothams.  From there, he continued to bounce around from town to town like a super ball.

From Boston, Marshall bounced back to New York, to Minneapolis, back to New York (yet again), to St. Louis, and then finally to the Cubs.  All of that in just four years, in the days long before free agency; they should have called his "Suitcase" Marshall!  He blew into the Windy City at just the right time, as he was purchased by the Chicago club, from the Red Birds, in May of 1908.  As such, the bench player was able to experience the team's last World Series win for 106 years firsthand.  Of course, he only got to watch that historic and infamous event from the bench.

Throughout his Major League career, Marshall never appeared in more than 84 games in a single campaign.  His playing time only decreased once he reached the West Side Grounds, as the juggernaut club was well on their way to infamy before he came to town.  Spelling the regular fly-chasers (plus one game at catcher), Marshall's name only appeared in 12 box scores after his acquisition.  For his part, he contributed six hits in 20 at-bats and three RBI during his Cubbie cameo.

I could be wrong, but I do believe that is Doc (circled) among his teammates and Clark the Cubs' terrifying ancestor.

It goes without saying that Marshall was not active in the World Series that October, though he was still a member of the club during that triumph over the Detroit Tigers.  Not for much longer though, as that next February, his contract was sold again - this time, to the Brooklyn Superbas.  It was in the "Borough of Churches" that Marshall played the final schedule of his Big League career, getting into 50 games from the Brooklyn bench.

That wasn't it for Doc' professional career - in fact, it might not have actually been the end of his MLB at all.  Marshall hung around in the minors for another few seasons before eventually taking up management.  I've seen it written that Mr. Marshall briefly took a turn as manager for the Chicago Whales of the upstart Federal League during their inaugural campaign in 1914; although, I cannot corroborate these claims at this time.  Fellow Cub, Joe Tinker, is listed as the only official manager for the franchise on Baseball Reference.

It was at that point, "Doc" officially began to live up to his nickname.  While playing ball, Marshall had been studying and working towards his medical degree, graduating from the Chicago College of Medicine and Surgery in 1909.  There's little doubt that Marshall was making the most of his time on the Cubs' bench, cracking the books while his teammate cracked line drives.  After retiring from the game, Marshall opened up a medical practice in the same state he earned a World Series ring in, settling down in Clinton, IL.  He would spend the rest of his life in that cozy little town, serving as a respected physician until his death in 1959 at the age of 84.

Since his MLB career was relatively brief (six years) and was relegated entirely to sub work, it should come as no surprise that his cardboard footprint is rather tiny.  In fact, as best as I can tell, the T206 single that I just purchased is the only true Doc Marshall card on the market... well, that and it's various reprints.  Thus, even more reason to pull the trigger on such an affordable copy - I can always upgrade if the opportunity presents itself down the road.  No matter what, I officially get to cross another name off of the list and add another card to my marquee binder.  That's what I live for.

After adding Doc to my pages, I'm inching ever closer to my goal of one card of every person to ever play for the Cubs.  Plus, as a fun side quest, I'm also inching ever closer to one card of each member of the legendary 1908 World Series Champion Cubs.  As it stands today, I have 20 of the 26 men to suit up for the club that season - not bad for a bunch of guys from 106 years ago, I'd say.  Although, it doesn't look great for completing this side task.

Of the six remaining, only four have had baseball cards issued with their likenesses.  Bill Mack (2 games) and Carl Spongberg (1 game) were a pair of pitchers who briefly appeared on the active roster in 1908 and never again took a Major League mound afterwards.  So, unless I go the custom route or someone digs up an improbably rare and forgotten regional issue, it's quite impossible for me to get ALL of the '08 Cubbies.  That said, that's not going to stop me from trying to track down the other four:

 Clockwise - Vin Campbell, Jack Hayden, Chick Fraser, and Kid Durbin

As you can see above, these guys only appear in antique, relatively expensive checklists.  Thus, I will most likely have to settle for reprints or wait in the weeds for a good deal.  Heck, as you see with Doc Marshall, I'll make great allowances for condition if I can score super vintage on the cheap.   Much like the Cubs have been positing throughout the 2018-19 off-season, I have a supremely limited spending budget, for trinkets and cards anyway.

So, if you have these or any other superannuated cards which look as though they've been to battle with an angry dog or sticky-fingered toddler that you'd like to get rid off, I'm your mark... I mean... customer!

Anyway, in summation, for the low, low cost of $5.00 ($4.25 after that 15% discount), I was able to acquire an authentic, century-plus year old card of a long forgotten, short-term Cubs player needed for my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.  That's the kind of acquisition my collection and Wrigley Roster Jenga thrive on.  Although, I have to ask, would add a similarly damaged card to your collection?  Where do you draw the line on wear and tear for your binders?  Please feel free to share your opinions in the comment section below.

I'll take that deal any day of the week and twice on Sunday... even if 15% off applies to both the pricing and the card itself.