Different strokes: How modern MLB players develop their autographs

August 14, 2023 7:32 AM

An autograph is a personal thing, a marker of someone’s identity, a few dashes of ink that can help preserve a legacy. Short or long, sloppy or neat, every player has a story behind their signature. There are more demands on athletes’ time than ever, so there’s a balance at play when it comes to the art of signing. (archive.today link)
posted by Etrigan (4 comments total)

Fun story! On the shelf across the room I have maybe a dozen autographed baseballs and from the, I'd say the story is spot-on. Most of them came from events at Tampa Bay Rays games, where (pre-COVID-19, anyway) a couple of players would sign for 30 to 40 minutes before Sunday games. Typically it's the younger players and they're signing a lot of stuff in a hurry, so everyone in line gets through.

Blake Snell? Bl-line, S-something-ll. Not bad.
Curt Casali? Basically C-line-t, C-line-l-i.
Ryne Stanek? Ry, St and a number.
Steve Cishek? St-line, C-line-something, number and a Bible verse reference.
Chris Archer, though -- one of the very best people in baseball -- did better, CH-line and and a stylized "Archer" with his number. He also took a minute to good-naturedly hassle my son before yielding the autograph, asking him, "Who's got the better arm, me or Kiermaier?" :)
And there are several that are indecipherable. I noted the names at the time and now I don't believe my own notes.

But when these guys aren't signing hundreds at a time, they do pretty well - Alex Cobb signed one for a charity event, and it's clear as day -- granted, only eight letters, but...

And then there are the veterans and old-timers. Buck Showalter (another genuinely good guy), Bob Stanley, John Smoltz, Tug McGraw, Johnny Pesky, Butch Hobson (the last four all found at a thrift store, but they check out)-- all look like they were taking a cursive exam. Those guys, they got it.
posted by martin q blank at 8:49 AM on August 14, 2023 [3 favorites]

Neat, I've always wondered!

basically a T and a line, then an H and some scribbles.
My lil bro absolutely went above and beyond, hit it straight out of the park, when he got me a #16 Ferrari F1 (display) toy car signed by the driver Charles Leclerc one Christmas. I cried, it was such a generous and thoughtful gift.
The actual signature.... well I suppose one looks at it and thinks, "Leclerc himself scribbled in sharpie on this!"

Did capitalism ruin autographs? At the volume and frequency they're contractually obligated to sign, the value isn't really in the scribble. It's in the story. I'm not sure I'd seek out a driver's autograph for myself if given the chance, except as part of a bigger story. Having an autograph just to have an autograph seems pointless, especially when they've (completely reasonably) put nothing of themselves into it.

Not to be on a high horse about it though, there's one autograph I'd love to have for itself... but I keep that parasocial relationship on a tight leash and buying their autograph just to own it feels a bit too much like slipping the collar.
posted by Baethan at 9:01 AM on August 14, 2023

I wonder whether anyone has taken one of these signed baseballs and tried to get a DNA sample out of it.

I’d think it might be about time for some kind of contractural way of prohibiting that.
posted by jamjam at 10:31 AM on August 14, 2023

Back when would get minor-leaguers to sign cards, there was a guy whose initials were BB (I forget his last name.) His autograph was B-line B-line with a squiggle. You'd have to have his name on a card you wouldnt know who it was on any other item. I guess he thought in time everyone would know who he was.
posted by Billiken at 11:42 AM on August 14, 2023