The Iowa chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research, of which I am a member, recently received a photo and communication from Shona Frese of the baseball museum in Norway, Iowa.
Seems a gentleman donated a piece of equipment, explaining it was his father's in the 1920s.
What is it?
The donor and museum speculate that it is related to spectacles.
"It is made similar to a catcher's mask but it only fits over the eye area (that is my opinion)," Frese wrote. "It has small leather pads. I tried it on over my glasses and it seems to fit pretty well. I am thinking a player might have worn it so he would not break his glasses or perhaps to help hold the glasses on."
Schalk did not wear glasses during his playing days -- at least on the field. Few players did.
Anyone have any insight on this?
