How'd That Get There?!

As I've been working my way through my Cubs collection and adding it to my Zistle account, I came across a pair of cards that don't really belong. One of them, I know what I was thinking, the other, not so much. Let's start with the latter.

1960 Topps Jim Marshall

Actually, I know how it got there. When sorting through a vintage box a few years back at a card show, I looked at the main picture, saw the Cubs hat that didn't get airbrushed out and paid absolutely no attention to Red Sox logo, the team name or the black and white photo on the left. So much for cardboard appreciation, huh?

As a lefty when I'm shuffling through cards, I hold the stack in my left hand and fan/thumb them into my right. For effect, this is essentially what I saw:

When sorting through a box of quarter vintage, details just get in the way.

I haven't decided what to do with it yet. It doesn't belong in my Cubs collection. And not that a 1960 Jim Marshall is a goldmine or anything, but can I justify having vintage in my niche, horizontal collection? I mean, that's just for fun, right?  I imagined it as a dime box collection, not something that could potentially fetch paper money. Even if its just a George Washington or maybe a Thomas Jefferson. Does anybody have a "serious" card in their fun, niche collection? Or does that bump into a different collection?

The funny thing about the Red Sox, is that Marshall didn't even end up playing for them. According to Baseball-Reference, the Cubs traded him to Boston following the 1959 season. And the Red Sox traded him before the 1960 season started. Twice.

Click to enlarge

Sorry, I can't make that any bigger without it cutting into my right column.

Next up is this 1978 Al Dark card.

1978 Topps Alvin Dark

I definitely added this one on purpose. Technically, this is a Padres card and doesn't show up on any Cubs team checklists. But Al(vin) Dark is right there, in black and white, in a Cubs uniform. This isn't a "Traded" card where they just didn't have him in a new uniform. This is like a "Then & Now" card. That's good enough for me. If Topps reintroduced this design and had Ryne Sandberg on the left as a Cub and as the Phillies manager on the right, I'd add that one too. But that's not a great example, because I collect anything Sandberg.

Fine. I'd do the same for Terry Francona (Indians), Joe Girardi (Yankees), Lloyd McClendon (Mariners), or even Bo Porter (Astros) too. Holy cow, what are these other teams thinking with all these ex-Cubs at the helm?!

Anyway, since I keep my cards in player order, not team set order, this one fits in just fine my other, "real" Al Dark Cubs card.

1959 Topps Al Dark