Help, please, with these 3 unknowns
 

I can't identify these, can anyone help? The first two came from a mostly-Indians lot, and the last from a mostly-Phillies prospects lot.

Thanks, Ken

I think the first is Curt Schilling

You know what, I think you're right! I'm so used to his sig where the last name looks like a B.

Thanks!
Ken

First one is Schilling and the last one is Nomar Garciaparra.

I hope I'm not being insulting, but I never will understand how people can care about scribbles like these.

David, since you post something about scribbles and "who cares" just about every time I ask a question like this, I'm pretty sure you DO mean to be insulting.

Well, Ken, you're wrong.

Good, I hope you don't want to be insulting. So why post this so many times? What does it add to anything?

Nothing, I suppose. I didn't realize I was posting many times.

I think the second one is Jose Mesa.

The last one is Miguel Tejada

I hate to tell you with autographs like that there garbage I don't know why anyone would collect them.

Thanks, guys, Tejada and Mesa it is.

Kevin, thanks for adding absolutely nothing to the thread.

Ken

guys we go through this time and time again it gets old and tired looking at the garbage that is signed these days by the guys that don't care about penmanship. KEN sorry for hurting ur feelings.

It's a sign of the times, penmanship isn't what it used to be. Bread isn't a nickel a loaf anymore either. That doesn't mean people can't collect it or come here for help though, right?

+1 with David here....Hard to see why anyone would collect scribbles for autographs. There is something nice about an athelete who takes pride in giving a fan a nice autograph he or she can show off to future generations aka Ruth, Mantle, Gehrig, Cobb. If I have to ask a forum to help me identify an auto then what is the use of collecting it...Just my opinion for what its worth...sorry if that offends.

While I do not like or admire the signatures or lack of penmanship of today's athletes it is a fact that we must accept , even grudgingly so. If you want autographs of the majority of , if not all of today's top athletes you have to put up with the sloppy signatures and for the most part a bad attitude as well.
We will never see the clear legible autographs like we did until the last 15-20 years or on the vintage pieces out there that we so love to see and collect.

I don't buy the "they don't teach penmanship" argument. I work with plenty of 20-something interns, many of whom have excellent penmanship and sign their names legibly. Plus, even if you struggle with script, one could still write their name stylishly and legibly in print style letters.

In my opinion, it has more to do with the attitude that a messy signature is a status symbol ("I'm too busy and important to care") and the notion that a clean, legible signature is old-fashioned and uncool.

Scribbles???
 

How does the Jose Mesa look like a scribble? Seriously? That is one of his better examples and is downright smooth.

I've seen folks say Jeter's auto is a mess and all I see is a flowing piece of art every time I see a real Jeter. Cmon. Cool autos.

Peace, Mike

huh?
 

Now there's an intelligent and well thought out attack.

This thread started innocently as someone trying to figure out 3 signed baseballs.

Why the hell don't you guys (you know who you are) start a little "scribbles club" or a "little bitty scribbles thread" and just talk to yourselves for awhile.

Assist or shut the hell up.

Peace, Mike

You've got it wrong, Mike. We guys (we know who we are) are the ones who would not be members of the "scribbles club."

....
 

We got it. You do not like scribbled autos. They are all scribbles when you get right down to it. Each is a unique piece of art. I understand you collect other forms of art than the thread involves but the point is....we don't care. So if you are so clear on not collecting these scribbles then why do you feel the urge or need to jump into a thread that is quite simply just asking for a little help.

It was a simple thread to ask for opinions about the players who signed those baseballs, not a forum to let others know that you are a "master collector" and that you can't figure out why people collect scribbles.....really? :eek:

Peace, Mike

Really, Mike? I'm glad that others here don't hold your rather limited idea of what a free exchange of ideas should be. "Unique piece of art"? Please.

Collect all the scribbles you want, if that's what makes you happy. Just make sure you have them well-labelled, so that a year from now you'll still know what you have.

And, BTW, take a gander at the upper-left-hand corner of this web page. It says "Net54baseball.com Pre-WWII Baseball Card & Memorabilia Forums." Pre-WWII: When ballplayers didn't scribble.

The first one looks like the certified Curt Schilling I have at home.

I don't think it's that collectors actually like the way players are scribbling their sigs...but what are we supposed to do if you want to collect their autographs? Players' signatures (and yes, a generalization fits here) seem to be getting worse and worse every year..but collectors like me still want to collect them. I do miss the era when you can actually identify the players' sigs. Maybe it's because our schools don't teach the art of handwriting anymore.

i always chuckle when someone comes into a thread and states what a horrible chicken scratch of a scribble that sig is...thank you captain obvious we never noticed it before! it's an art form to be able to scribble the same way everytime, look at ichiro. newer guys like miguel sano changes their scribble every month.

i can tolerate the scribble...up to a point. look at these supposed hollywood ip graphs. now THESE guys dgaf.

http://photos.sportscollectors.net/327672.jpg
http://photos.sportscollectors.net/327676.jpg
http://photos.sportscollectors.net/248184.jpg
http://photos.sportscollectors.net/334868.jpg
http://photos.sportscollectors.net/327673.jpg

Ha! OK...now, that Al Pacino/Scarface one.... now that one takes the cake!:D You can probably add Robin Williams to that celebrity list of great penmanship (may he RIP).

Maybe it's because the players don't give a shit. You can bet your ass they sign legibly on their multimillion dollar contracts.

Ironic... One of the most desirable/valuable autographs is a scrawl that couldn't even be read by the player who drew it (Joe Jackson.)

I have a signature that is hard to read. One time I was cashing a check and the teller complained about my endorsement signature. He asked me to write it legibly. I told him sure, but then it wouldn't match my signature that's on file with the bank, or any of my other signatures. He didn't care - he just wanted to be able to read my name.

So I signed very slowly, carefully, and it's a signature that does not look anything like anything else I've ever signed.

Bottom line, if a player has a sloppy signature and you collect autographs, an authentic sig from the guy will be sloppy, and that's what you'd want & expect, isn't it? From Joe Jackson to Curt Schilling and everyone in between.