Does anyone have an issue with buying "sloppy" autographs?

[butchie_t]

For about 10 years I had season tickets to the Colo Spgs Sky Sox and collected close to 4k of autographs of many PCL and MLB players. Many were signed nice and many should have been doctors with the way they ‘signed’ their names.

The older coaches and managers were hit and miss too.

Cheers,

B. T.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

In the 1990's, the majority of players' attitudes and their autographs really seemed to go downhill. I lost all interest in the modern game after the strike which cost baseball an entire World Series, and I only kept collecting the modern players' autographs out of habit. It was increasingly more annoying to have to put these scribbles into my collection just because I was attempting to obtain an autograph of every MLB player in history. At some point in the late 1990's, I set a date of 2000 to be the last one in which I would still want every player's autograph who debuted that season. I haven't regretted my decision to quit following baseball and to cease with the infernal scribbling.

People paying these current athletes three or four figures for their feeble attempts to test out a marker is laughable to me, but if it makes them happy, then so be it. For this kind of money, the least the players can do is learn how to legibly write their names in proper cursive. I don't care if they haven't been taught in schools; let their agents teach them, or hire a tutor! It's a business transaction; try doing something to make it more worth the buying party's time. Scribble all you want when you're not being paid, but when you are, put in a little effort, please.

[mr2686]

Originally Posted by billycox3

in the 1990's, the majority of players' attitudes and their autographs really seemed to go downhill. I lost all interest in the modern game after the strike which cost baseball an entire world series, and i only kept collecting the modern players' autographs out of habit. It was increasingly more annoying to have to put these scribbles into my collection just because i was attempting to obtain an autograph of every mlb player in history. At some point in the late 1990's, i set a date of 2000 to be the last one in which i would still want every player's autograph who debuted that season. I haven't regretted my decision to quit following baseball and to cease with the infernal scribbling.

People paying these current athletes three or four figures for their feeble attempts to test out a marker is laughable to me, but if it makes them happy, then so be it. For this kind of money, the least the players can do is learn how to legibly write their names in proper cursive. I don't care if they haven't been taught in schools; let their agents teach them, or hire a tutor! It's a business transaction; try doing something to make it more worth the buying party's time. Scribble all you want when you're not being paid, but when you are, put in a little effort, please.

+1000000000000000000

[Carter08]

I give all lefties a free pass.

[Republicaninmass]

Originally Posted by Carter08

I give all lefties a free pass.

Koufax had a couple of funny ones on his horizontal cards, 55 and 56

[Bigdaddy]

I would be willing to wager that the sloppiness of autographs is correlated to the increase in demand over time. Not to say that is an excuse, but there are now folks who either as a full-time job, or to supplement their income, chase down players at the ballparks, hotels, restaurants and anywhere they are in public.

And it doesn't just start in the majors, it's pervasive in the minors also.

[Seven]

Originally Posted by Bigdaddy

I would be willing to wager that the sloppiness of autographs is correlated to the increase in demand over time. Not to say that is an excuse, but there are now folks who either as a full-time job, or to supplement their income, chase down players at the ballparks, hotels, restaurants and anywhere they are in public.

And it doesn't just start in the majors, it's pervasive in the minors also.

Fair observation. One has to think though, the amount of autographs players like Mays, Mantle, Williams, DiMaggio, etc signed through the years. All were pretty prominent on the show circuit as well, and their signatures were always pretty and crisp.