What player has the best looking auto?
 

Maybe not "the prettiest", but your favorite. Please post an example, if possible. There are a few I like. While Ruth and Mantle are both very classic and eyecatching, I think Lou Gehrig's is just beautiful. Very fluid.

But one that just visually appeals to me and I don't know why is Bob Lemon. He normally signs smaller than most players on multi signed items. I just like the slant he had to his signature. I think something in his signature reminds me of my grandfather's (also named Bob), who recently passed away.

http://www.historyforsale.com/produc...ails/90800.jpg

Nice Autos
 

Charles Gehringer & Tris Speaker are two of my favorites...

I don't know about best looking, but I appreciate players who have consistent and careful signatures. As if they take care in each autograph. A few include Nolan Ryan, Pete Rose (who actually doesn't have the most attractive sig by any means), Harmon Killebrew, Charlie Gehringer. You get about the same signature from these guys each time.

Actually, I had the index card of some pre-war player who played like ten games in the bigs for the Cubs. Next to his signature he had a really nice sketch of a Cub that he obviously took time drawing (there was a outline pencil sketch underneath). Perhaps he rarely got autograph requests. He's my pick of the day-- even though I can't remember his name.

I do really like Harmon's signature but as I collect him, I decided not to mention it. People would know I'm biased. ;)

I think Greenberg's is pretty nice. I just wish it wasn't always in black sharpie.

Gene Lillard, Charlie Gehringer, John Coombs to name a few of my faves

Steve Carlton and Lou Gehrig.

Mel Ott gets honorable mention because he had so little to work with.

i like the ones you can read, from the old days, the guys took time and made sure you got a readable signature.

these days its just chicken scratch, like carlos gomez, how can you call it a signature?

I like ted williams, just looks nice.

Don't look at Lillard's too long or you will be hypnotized. :)

Gene Lillard's sig
 

Here is Gene Lillard's signature and a great example of his writing. He obviously is into calligraphy. I bought this signed 3 x 5 because of the terrific example of penmanship and it was personalized to Jeff Morey, one of the early pioneers of TTM autograph collecting.

Cool!! :cool:

Well, my favorite ballplayer of all-time is Tommy Tresh, and I absolutely love his signature.

Attachment 50637

John Franklin 'Home Run' Baker
 

not that i've seen many autographs of players...but my fav is the earlier vintage hubbell sig with the cross through the H and slanted to the left. very striking to me.

http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/o...r/cards/hh.jpg

Pre-war...I've always liked Collins' signature

http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/r...nedLetterE.jpg

Post-war...Clemente

http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/r...teSigned1c.jpg

Charlie Gehringer is probably the best, but Ty Cobb is nice too!

Joe

I always liked Whitey Ford's sig

http://www.qualitycards.com/pictures/31422965.jpg

Best looking sig
 

I don't have an example to share - wish I did - but Sam Crawford has a beautiful signature.

I like Tex Carleton's auto.

signature
 

My vote goes to Charlie Gehringer but a vintage Hank Greenberg is a close second.

sigs
 

I like the Lillard however! I can remember when you actually had a penmanship teacher in school! Ah the good old days.

Honus Wagner had an eye catcher. Mathewsons was nice.

When Gehrig wasn't rushed, his signature was a timeless classic...

Attachment 50606Attachment 50608

Hate to go modern, but his sig is awesome...
 

On top of being the greatest Closer of all time, Mariano Rivera sports one of the most handsome autographs, too...

This one isn't mine, but I just picked up a similar item as a door prize at a Charity event in Ridgefield, CT that he was hosting...best $50 I've ever spent...

I gotta agree with Jimmy. A nice not rushed Gehrig is a beauty, but I am biased.

One of my favorites also happens to be an vintage Tex Carleton

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...arleton002.jpg

Always liked Duffy Lewis,

Derek Jeter is nice for current players, and A-Rod too, when he actually signs his full name.

The Little Professor Got Good Marks for Penmanship
 

Mark,

I love the vintage signed Tex. Very cool!!!

I always like Marty Marion's sig. Sorry I don't have a scan. Gehringer is my favorite though.

Best,

Andy

Wow, that Duffy Lewis looks very cool!

For vintage, I can always appreciate a Joe Dimaggio or Ted Williams, but a more obscure choice would be Roger Maris. I always Maris' his signature was somewhat representative of himself -- classy and reserved.

And among the modern era, Griffey Jr. is nice as well....

Timeless classic signatures
 

Let's face it, whether it's lack of emphasis on penmanship or the computer age, very few modern athletes can even sign their name legibly.

Nothing beats the beautiful flow of an early fountain pen autograph.
It seems to me that a person's signature says a lot about the man.
Here are a few of my early baseball favorites and why:

Christy Mathewson- Formal and educated- a classic!

Ernie Shore- Big, stylish and with a loopy flair- Awesome!

Carl Hubbell- Classic, left-handed and precise, exactly like his pitching style

Johnny Vander Meer- Timeless and unwavering in terms of consistency over the 65 years that he signed autographs. I find it very interesting that as a famous lefty pitcher, he ironically penned his autograph with his right hand. I've always wondered why...

" I find it very interesting that as a famous lefty pitcher, he ironically penned his autograph with his right hand. I've always wondered why... "

As did Ruth and Gehrig, Scott. Those tough Brothers and Schoolmarms are to blame. Something about the Devil is a southpaw, or something like that. ;)

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...MarionAuto.jpg

Wow Jimmy, I think you might be on to something there! I knew Babe signed right handed, but I never knew about The Iron Horse....

Rivera has a great signature that has changed radically over the years. He seems to intentionally mix it up every few years.

I think Andy Petitte and CC Sabathia sign their names right handed too. I remember reading the only thing CC does with his left arm/hand is throw a baseball and that was because he stunk right handed and his dad said maybe you're a lefty.

Every one of Lou's auto's is legible, neat and look the same

Early Wagner's are nice...
 

I've always loved Honus Wagner's early, ornate signature.......but I think Clemente's autograph is the best!

Matt

Steve "Lefty" Carlton signs right handed also. I know Ruth went to St Marys a Catholic school so I am sure they forced him to write right handed. I remember reading an article about Peter Lawford who went to a Catholic school and in his words, "they tried to beat the left-handidness out of me" LOL.

Always liked Speaker.

this guy has a nice simple sig IMO. LOVE IT

I second Lou Brock. Nice and clean.

Stan the Man signs right handed as well. See the May 1, 1954 Saturday Evening Post cover.

A lot of the early guys had very nice signatures, but a bit more modern I personally like Harmon Killebrew...:D

For a non-star player, this one always one of my favorites. You can tell that he worked on this when he was a kid...

Don Hood, 1970s pitcher for Cleveland, et. al.

http://images.stampwants.com/8v7i9.img

I'd also like to give some love to Gil Hodges, since he probably won't get any from the HOF vets committee this weekend.

righty vs lefty sigs
 

Not only do some left handed ballplayers sign right handed, but also some right handed players sign left handed. Dale Murphy and Brooks Robinson to name a few.

Personally, I like Charlie Gehringers sig and also Richard Petty's.

MM: Honorable Mention
 

Always liked the early Dick Bosman where he put a star over the I in Dick. I asked him to do it once recently and he laughed saying how cheesy it was and did it anyway.

Since he's been mentioned a few times (and he was a Tiger)....