Rare scorecard from Yale vs Harvard baseball match taking place at Hamilton Park in New Haven on Monday, June 24, 1878. Card is 4 pages, 9" x 5 1/2" flat, folds once to 4 1/2" x 5 1/2". Printed in Harvard Crimson Red, Yale Blue, and Gold foil. Card is unscored and in EX plus with no tears and a clean spine. Harvard player Fred Thayer invented and holds the patent for the catcher's mask. It came about as a result of Harvard pitcher Harold Ernst perfecting a new pictch called the curveball which was striking out batters but leading to errors and causing injury to the catcher. Thayer came up with the mask contraption which was designed for and debuted by catcher James Tyng in April, 1877. The mask was manufactured and marketed by A.G. Spaulding and Brothers Co. in 1878.