Louis f sockalexis autographed ball

[prewarsports]

I think taking the probability of something actually occuring into account when authenticating autographs is a good place to start as well as looking at handwriting examples. For example, it is common today for basketball players to sign shoes. Do you think Honey Russell or James Naismith was ever asked to sign a sneaker in 1930? So if one came up you should be VERY skeptical before you even get into handwriting analysis. It is a modern thing and single signed baseballs did not occur with even the rarest frequency until the WWI era. You are right about printed signatures, but even those did not start popping up until years after Sockalexis had left the game.

Sockalexis was living on an Indian reservation and working logging camps pretty much since he left the minor leagues, around 1902. I dont think a true "single signed" baseball exists in the entire hobby from before 1902 of anyone. If there is one, I am not aware of one, it just didn't happen. Even ten years later they were rare, but they existed as display pieces at bars and restaurants etc, but almost never signed to fans.