[steve B]

I'm pretty much learning autographs, I have a few but not many most I got myself or from a source I trust.

But I've had this question for a while and figured it was finally time to ask since the Mathewson thread made me think about it again.

My own signature varies a lot depending on the situation and what I'm signing. So if I'm signing for a package or a credit card slip, it's a nearly unreadable scribble, checks are a bit more legible and more formal documents are a bit nicer. It took a conscious effort to speed up for the bank signature card so it would look like a check.
Table, clipboard or a loose bit of paper in hand makes a difference too.

How common is this?

The Mathewson book thread made me think of it because personally if I was signing a bunch of bookplates I'd be using the slower "official document" method instead of the scribble.

I may be odd, but when I was younger I attempted signing a ball or two just for fun. (Used them pretty much right after) And it was much harder than just writing. And didn't resemble my normal writing at all.
I suppose modern players get a ton of practice, but back when signing balls wasn't typical could that have affected what a ball players signature looked like?

Steve B