This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/1/2011.
This rare artifact is a most significant and historical original 1877 baseball scorecard for a game played between Harvard University vs. Yale University on Saturday, May 26, 1877 at Hamilton Park in New Haven, Connecticut accompanied by a very rare “Thayer” style catchers mask from this period similar to that invented by Harvard third baseman and team captain Fred Thayer and first introduced to the game in April this season. This “college championship” game features the first man to wear a catchers mask, James Alexander Tyng playing catcher for the Harvard nine. Tyng batted second in this game behind Fred thayer, the third baseman and inventor of the catcher’s mask. Harold Ernst, an early pitcher using the curveball, was also on this team, pitching and hitting fifth in the lineup. The story is told that when Ernst began throwing his curveball to Tyng during the winter of 1876/77, Tyng refused to catch until he could have something to protect his face. This is when Thayer set upon designing and implimenting the very first catchers mask for which he ultimately received a patent early in 1878. The score card is printed with red and blue inks that when unfolded measures 5” x 9”. These are superb items from a historic college baseball season. The leather strap on the catchers mask is broken. The program is in EXMT condition and is scored lightly in pencil with Yale the winner of this College Championship by a score of 5-0. An original newspaper box score from this historic game is also included.