who has the nicest signature?
 

Just curious as to whom you all think has the nicest signature. Can be vintage or current.
I happen to think Charlie Gehringer has/had the nicest, most consistent signature I've ever seen. I guess they didn't call him the mechanical man for nothing!

I am partial to Lou Gehrig's simple style.

On the other spectrum, Id like to nominate Derek Jeter for one of the worst. Too many loopty loops and IMO sometimes hard to tell fakes.

I really like Mickey Mantle's signature. It is pretty cool to see how his signature changed from the 50's to the 60's then to 80's.

Also, ya gotta smile when you look at Tug Mcgraw's signature.

who has the nicest signature?
 

I really do like vintge Charlie Gehringer signatures

Jimmy

Gene Lillard

Mickey Mantle always had a nice signature. It was nice looking not beautiful, but was always consistent and careful. Especially considering some of today's signatures, I give good grades to consistency and pride in handwriting. For example, Nolan Ryan's signature isn't beautiful, but he gets high marks from me due to consistency. It looks the same every time.

I second Gehrig

I always like Ted William's signature as well.

In terms of vintage players, I always felt Mays and Yaz both had horrible looking signatures.

Although I like Gehringer's signature, to me it looks too mechanical, like he was doing a penmanship exercise. For consistency and legibility I nominate Harmon Killebrew.

The Duke
 

Duke Snider's signature is pretty good and I think has been pretty consistent throughout the years.

I like the signatures of Mickey Mantle, Satchel Paige and Jackie Robinson.
For current players, Derek Jeter and early Ken Griffey Jr. autographs.

I agree... Killebrew and Gehringer are two of the best.

I also like Ted Williams, Johnny Bench, Eddie Collins and Chas. Comiskey

Most childlike/worst of the worst are Cy Young, Buck Leonard and Brooks Robinson (yuck) I think Brooksie may have actually devalued a few photos, jerseys and caps when he signed them!

I would have to go with Harmon Killebrew. Not only a consistent and legible autograph but a class act as well.

How could I forget the signature of Sandy Koufax! One of the all-time best autographs!

I really like Babe Ruth's script.

Greg Marino, hands down, er, up.

I really like Cal Ripken's autograph. Clean, artistic, nice.

I agree Brooks Robinson's is awful. It almost wraps around an entire baseball.

Best Autograph Vote- Prewar & Postwar
 

My votes are:
Pre-war: Christy Mathewson, "Chief" Bender, Walter Johnson
Post-war: Ted Williams, Joe D, Steve Carlton

I second Gene Lillard. Upon first sight of a post-career Lillard 3X5, any and all would agree. Sorry, don't have a scan.

Sam Leever, when he tried, also had a great signature.

Almost forgot to mention my favorite... Duffy Lewis - the great Red Sox Outfielder.

I'd like to see the Marinos attempt that one (and wonder what a Coach's Corner version would look like?)

Same for John Brush...

I am partial to Harry Heilmann....great flow on the H's, and I also like Christy Mathewson's...maybe because you just don't see it much.

I always liked Stan The Man's sig, always a bold legible signature

http://www.qualitycards.com/pictures/81813118.jpg

I agree with Jodi on the Sam Leever. I have also always liked Sammy Bohn's flowing signature as well.

Surprised nobody has mentioned Tris Speaker. He is my favorite Hall of Famer!

Rhys

My .02 worth...
 

As usual, the Bambino is in a league all his own, even when it comes to penmanship.

Roger Maris had a flawless signature as well.

Attachment 13862

Rounding out my top five would be Gehrig, Matty, and Mantle.

If anyone can post a Gene Lillard or Sam Leever example, that would be great. Would love to see them both...

Jimmy... I agree with you about the Babe... such a classic. Perhaps the only baseball autograph that even a non-fan/collector can easily visualize in his/her mind.

Gene Lillard . . .
 

.


. . . was one of the first ballplayer signatures I thought of. Here's a vintage example. Still looking for one of my Leever examples.

Babe Ruth #1.

Also, Mantle, DiMaggio, Jeter

Lillard's playing career signature is no where near as nice as his post-playing career sig. When I first responded to this post's heading, it only took me about half a second to come up with my response. Here is a post-playing career Lillard signature. Even though he passed away in 1991, his signature (like this) is not too common.

I always wondered how his post-career signature could differ so much from his playing era sig, and it turns out calligraphy was his hobby!

example of Lillard
 

Here is an excellent example of his post-career signature.

Geez, that is nice!

I've always liked Edd Roush's signature. I've seen some ugly ones but when its nice its very nice. Has a real old timey look to it. Early Wynn also has a really nice signature. Enos Slaughter comes to mind as well.

I do NOT own this and so if I am posting a signature someone else owns, please forgive me.

Here is Leever. This is not as pretty as one of his vintage ones, but it is still a nice signature.

Autographs
 

Almost all of the older players signatures are better than the modern players signature. Michael Cuddyer and Torri Hunter are two current players that make an effort to have legible autographs and would fit in with the old style of signatures. When it comes to signatures, along with just about everything else, it is real obvious that the older player had more pride in what they did than the modern player does.

Commy has a very cool signature...
 

From REA 2008. I was an under-bidder to this really sweet letter.

Attachment 13892

Roberto Clemente

I agree if it looks like this one...
 

which does NOT belong to me. It's Ben's AKA foreveryoung as I pinched this scan off his site...

Attachment 13897

I very much like my two Clementes but he was rather inconsistent and there is really no comparison...

Attachment 13898

Attachment 13900Attachment 13901

Always liked Jimmie Foxx signature. Neat and a little different.

I also agree with Comiskey and Speaker for strictly HOF sigs.

Mark,

Actually, I have seen a couple of Duffy Lewis forgeries. They were on team/multi-signed Red Sox championship team pieces. Both were forged by the same crook (no, I'm not saying who). You're entirely correct--they were terrible attempts!

Also, Speaker's signature is very difficult to forge due to the unique intricacy of the "T" in Tris. I often wonder how he ever came up with the idea to construct it like that. Only recently I finally saw one forgery that really did come close. The forger nearly mastered the "T", but lost it in other areas which one would think would be much easier to replicate.

Good call Frank.
 

He liked to change his "J" that's for sure. Here is the version I now have. Come to think of it, I've changed Foxx signatures about as many times as he changed his "J" :)

Attachment 13912

Best: I was going to nominate Gene Lillard as well. It's artwork.

Worst: 80% of the baseball players today. I have an Eric Byrnes that is a mess on the sweet spot.

Jeter signatures are difficult to forge because there is method to DJ's madness and he is the only one who knows how to properly execute it.

Forgers have no idea where the loops go and how many there are. Tough to execute a nice Jeter forgery.

DanC

My favorite, it just has flair-

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...nteautobig.jpg

Altho I think Mantle, Joe D & Ted Williams are all clean, clear & beautiful, I am also partial to this one I got back when I was a 16 yr old in HS & working after school at my local hotel:

Always clear, consistent & unhurriedly scribed

I've always liked the signature of Sandy Koufax.

Honorable mention: Roger Bresnahan

Jimmy "Avoid the Clap" Foxx's old sig is sweet. I love how free flowing the Jimmy is and simple/separated all the letters in Foxx are(i.e. X X). This playing day example is spectacular Jimmy.

Cuddyer
 

--------------------------------------------------------------------

It is funny you said this as I said the exact same thing about a week ago when my dad brought back a Cuddyer signed ball from Twin's fest.
I was shocked at the quality...surprised it was even possible to sign so well on a baseball.
FYI-I was told he was a very nice man as well; took a lot of time with his fans.

Gene Lillard
 

It has to be Gene Lillard (post-career). I have a long handwritten letter from him - sort of looks like the Declaration of Independence! Wish I could put my hands on it real quickly - when I find it, I'll post it.

Willie Stargell

I've always liked Joe DiMaggio's signature. Although not as pretty, I also like Ruth's a lot too.

Late to the party, but . . .
 

.


. . . worthy of consideration as one of the truly attractive autographs available. Perhaps not quite as beautiful as the ornate Gene Lillard, but eye-catching none-the-less.

Was cruising through the recent Clean Sweep catalog, and the signature of Walter Woods caught my eye.

Attached is a handwritten, signed letter that Kevin Keating (Quality Autographs) has available for purchase:


.