Random question: Who do you think has the best autograph … and why?
By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor
Random question time … Who do you think has the best autograph in sports — and why?
I don’t have a distinct, definitive reply, but one of the first sigs that came to mind when I thought about this was that of New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. As you can see here — on an actual signed baseball — nearly every letter is seen with a clean and somewhat distinct feel to the signature as a whole.
Whose autographs — any sport , any era — stand out to you? Tell us … and show us an example.
I want to know … I might even reward the most interesting answers with an autograph.
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
NASCAR’s Carl Edwards has one of the most readable ( a rare thing! ) and stylish Autograph’s in the hobby. I think it’s great when the signer makes a bit of an effort to deliver an Auto that is actually good to look at and enhances the memorabilia it is on, and not something that just fulfills their obligation to sign.
Example-
http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/i357/AusRam66/NASCAR/Carl%20Edwards%20PC%20-%20NFT/ce11.jpg
Thanks
Scariest thing about Edwards is how much it resembles Dale Earnhardt’s auto. HAS to be on purpose.
pete rose and john havlicek have 2 of the best i have
Ive always liked Dennis Eckersley.
Example (only auto of his i have)
http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/ae40/s_stahl02/Traded/scan0064-1.jpg
Brian Wilson of the giants. just because he uses blood from a yeti as ink and a quill from a blue porcupine puffer fish as a pen
I’ve always like Brian Bannister who I met in Mexico:
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/arturohillo/Autos/IP/BrianBannister.jpg
The best autograph in sports has got to be Richard Petty. It is legible, elegant, and signed with precision.
You have to give it to the old timers. Guys like Mantle, Berra and Mays. Even go back to the Babe, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner and the like. Whether it was due to the fact that the number of autographs they had to sign was significantly less than today’s player’s or that they lived in a bygone era where people took pride in the little things (like ones signature), the players of yesteryear have the best signatures. Check some of them out: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/automenu.shtml
Good examples coming. I’m sure there are more …
Mark: Ever gotten Petty on a card through the mail? Not as impressive — just “R. Petty” for me.
Kordell Stewart and Jerome Bettis
Ken griffey jr by far. sweet sig and a sweet swing. his autos are very easy to read and looked great on any item
Julius “Dr J” has a sharp sig, and pretty hard to get. I also agree with you Chris I had gotten a
Richard, Kyle and Adam at a Ingles supermerket and they all were great signers.
Can’t scan it, but Mr. Kennedy/Anderson is by far the best auto in sports!!!
was going to say petty but since its been mentioned I say Ozzie Smith especially when you get the legit not rushed auto with the Dot above the i and below, even when it is rushed you can still read it perfectly. I absolutely HATE the Fact that these kids scribble there names I mean common they get paid for their auto so there is no excuse to not at least TRY ! the ABSOLUTE WORST IS K2 got a card from donruss his rookie year from a hundred plus dollar Pack and thought “I bet your Dad hates that you don’t sign your name” those who don’t know who i am talking about he plays football and his dad is one of the greatest Chargers of all time and possibly one of the best Tight Ends the sport ever saw
Without a doubt there are some great ones. I have a genuine Mickey Mantle. It is so distinctive and there is a certain beauty to it. So symmetrical and rounded. In football it is hard to argue with a great Dan Marino. Very forceful looking autograph. Ben Hogan also had a beautiful autograph. Very precise and smooth, but overall, maybe the best is Jack Nicklaus. Every letter is perfect and just the right slant to the letters.
Although I cant post a scan right now, but I am not a personal fan of the players as much, but I think Neftali Feliz and Chris Coghlan. I like Neftali’s because it is small, tight and neat and I like Chris’ because of the Awesome loops. Although both are typically common auto’s I like collecting them because of what the auto’s look like.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?VISuperSize&item=300608227532
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?VISuperSize&item=250927294503
Stephen Strasburg has a cool auto, but the most readable has to be Johnny Bench or Alan Trammel.
It has to be a three way tie between Montreal Canadiens players:
Jean Beliveau
Maurice Richard
Steve Shutt
With a slight edge going to Shutt, but i have NEVER seen a sloppy auto from any of these habs greats
You may not be able to make out each letter in his name, but when most people see this signature, it is instantly recognizable. Mr. Walter Payton had one of the most distinctive signatures in all sports. He is truly missed.
(Cut and paste into URL line)
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r79/24Phoenix/th_PaytonHelmet.jpg
Alice Schmid
Albuquerque, NM
Jeff Keppinger
Eli Manning has a nice, legible autograph
bob mcadoo,ken griffey jr, cal ripken jr, the old Michael Jordan auto, stan musial a few years ago, will clark, eli and peyton manning, joe namath, and derek jeter. Jeter’s is really hard to make out but looks really cool.
I think Johnny Unitas has a beautiful signature. Got his auto as a kid (too bad I didn’t have a card or football). Also, I recently got Matt Hassellbeck’s auto at a Titans practice. Never saw his before but it looks really good compared to most others today.
[IMG]http://i1109.photobucket.com/albums/h422/volatty/In%20Person%20Autographs/2011-08-08175247.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1109.photobucket.com/albums/h422/volatty/In%20Person%20Autographs/utf-8BSU1HMDEzNDEuanBn.jpg[/IMG]
“Best” being a relative term, I have always liked seeing guys with unique, readily identifiable signatures on the baseballs in my collection. Some of the guys who’ve signed for me have those generic, trying-to-sign-for-everyone signatures that just look like everyone else’s or don’t even look like their name, or worse, are just an initial followed by a line (thank you, Dan Haren and Jordan Norberto).
The best signatures don’t have to show every letter or be completely readable. They need to be unique, eye-catching, and knowable. Cal Ripken Jr. has one of those signatures. Everyone knows it, it looks great on the sweet spot of a ball, and no one else’s sig looks like it. For me being a big DBacks fan, Luis Gonzalez’s autograph was also just as nice.
I have three “best autos” in no particular order ~ Andre Dawson, Ozzie Smith and Joe Garagiola, Sr. Andre’s is more a work of art than handwriting, while Ozzie’s and Joe’s are simply beautiful ~ as if the ink flowed from the pen on its own. Finally, all three take pride in their autos, just the way they played the game!
Chris Johnson baby!
Gotta give it up to Johnny Unitas. Not only did he have a beautiful signature, but he had to learn to sign it with his left hand because of the damage his playing days did to his right.
Manon Rheaume – beautiful lady, beautiful auto that has not changed at all over the past 20 years, as you can see if you compare her certified autos from 1992-95ish Classic products right through to numerous releases (Canadiana, Dominion, etc.) over the past few months.
I have always been impressed with the penmanship of Johhny Bench
I hate to say this because of the team he played for is the one I hate the most in ALL OF SPORTS but Emmitt Smith has the most unique,consistent,and probably unable to forge.HIS AUTOGRAPH IS SWEET!!!!
Raymond Berry has a great signature.
Harmon Killebrew’s auto is far and away the best ever!!!!!!
Hockey player Marty McSorley has a great autograph – very stylish, yet legible too.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MARTY-McSORLEY-06-07-Parkhurst-Auto-232-ENFORCERS-SP-/120796970021?pt=US_Hockey_Trading_Cards&hash=item1c200f7c25
Chipper Jones’ auto is very sweet!
Gary Carter has a very easy to read signature. I may be biased as he is my all-time favorite baseball player. Keith Hernandez has a pretty distinct autograph as well. Then again I think prior to the 90’s most players had fairly distinct and full written signatures. It definitely seems like more of today’s players either don’t want to take the time or don’t care about making their signature nice. Maybe it is the volume of things that modern players sign, or maybe it is the fast paced society we are in, but most signatures now look very sloppy and rushed.
John Havlicek has the best sig, with a nice upward slant in a perfectly straight, legible line. The WORST by far is Geronimo Gil; anybody can draw a line with a hook at one end.
Mantle has the best auto. It’s legible yet distinct. You can clearly identify each letter, but it still has some style and flourish. There is soemthing about the way he did the “M”s that look cool.
He was also very consistent, you can look at any authentic Mantle sig and they all look pretty much the same.
It’s the easy choice, but I can’t honestly put anyone above him.
Have to agree with George above–Mantle’s auto is fantastic. Perfect curl on the M’s. Also a big fan of Donald Driver. Really distinct signature, and he doesn’t sign all that much.
I have always liked Barry Larkin’s and Johnny Bench’s. Very clean and consistent every time.
http://i615.photobucket.com/albums/tt240/7WhoDey/ebe1344b.jpg
I can also tell you one that stands out for the wrong reason……RYNE SANDBERG!!!!! TERRIBLE!
http://s615.photobucket.com/albums/tt240/7WhoDey/?action=view¤t=scan0016.jpg
Cal Ripken Jr’s signature really demonstrates the classiness and focus he exemplified in his playing style. Simple–sometimes easy to overlook (in a good way)–but effective and graceful…fully functional, loveable and distinct. Oh, and every letter is legible–every letter. P.S. also…very, very consistent (it is Cal, you know).
Any guy that takes his time when he signs is appreciated, but I loved Harmon Killebrew’s signature. He took a lot of pride in making it look good, and having such a long name it just scrolls over everything he signed. One of the greats.
Pat Neshek’s is also kind of fun, but what do you expect from a guy who collects autos himself.
Curtis Martin is the best auto i have in my collection
When Michael Jordan makes his “M” look like a “23” it is tough to beat. Jim Gantner, however, was always the most readable, in my opinion.
JonathanI
Luis Aparicio!
http://topps08.blogspot.com/2011/08/luis-aparicio-collection-2005-sp.html
moe.
mine is nascar superstar dale jr his auto is so cool looking all the loops and he signs dale jr
Chris,
I 100000% agree with your choice. I’m a huge Rivera fan and his autograph is absolutely gorgeous. It’s clean, consistent, and has a timeless look. Great pick!
The Big Train… Walter Johnson
I have to agree that Sandbergs auto is terrible.
mickey mantle’s signature is so nice, there’s alot of people who have taken the time to learn how to copy it. now that’s swagger
I have to say one of the most unique autographs out there is Da Bears late running back Walter Payton. The way he starts off the autograph with the loopy “w” makes it feel he really enjoyed connecting with fans through his signature. I have a couple items of his that were autographed but I would love to get some more items. The only problem is it gets hard to give up an arm and a leg each time you score his signature.
Mine is close between Don Mattingly and Larry Bird.
Eli Manning, he was at the rookie premiere and had to sign thousands of autos but gave you 100% effort from the first to the last. Others like Vernand Morency with his famous V and Chris Johnson went very cheap and quick, really robbing the fan. Very close second would be Derek Jeter and he is only second because he doesnt sign as much!
The signature that is in my collection now that I’m enjoying most is that of the Braves Alex Gonzalez. It by no means is readable, but it does have the feel of a graffiti artists tag. It flows so well and is very consistent.
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=140615513965&index=16&nav=WON&nid=88774266644&trxId=0
Ron Darling has a fantastic auto. Reggie Smith was a great signer, and super legible too!
i think mickey mantle and albert pujols has the 2 best autographs in baseball dale sr has the best auto in nascar and bill walsh and joe montana have the 2 best autos in football.
I just recently saw a unique awful autograph if those words can be used together. Vernand Morency has one of the most easiest, sloppiest autos around. but it really stood out to me. You would think he could sign tons of autographs in minutes due to his easy V. Maybe I should start signing things with a J. That would make things easier.
My favorite auto is Victor Martinez – clear and lots of loops. It is why I started collecting him.
I have a few others that I like the looks of (Elway, Jeter, Ripkin, LT, Drew Gooden) but the best auto for me is J.S. Giguere – that is a cool auto.
I always liked Tiger Woods’ auto, too. It is like he signs on a ruler.
Without question it’s Harmon Killebrew. Beautiful, readable and he took great pride in his autograph and bristled at those who scribbled their names.
As far as newer players, I think Sam Bradford has a really nice auto. It is legible and doesn’t look hurried…
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2010-Topps-Chrome-SAM-BRADFORD-ROOKIE-AUTO-BGS-9-5-10-GEM-MINT-5-PRISTINE-/260877055584?pt=US_Football&hash=item3cbd7bf660
I agree that Marty McSorley has the best autograph. He takes his time with everything he signs. Once at Reunuon Arena, he asked if we wouldn’t mind moving up under the awning so we wouldn’t get sprinkled on. He even asked if everyone got his autograph. Marty even enlarges his signature for 8×10’s and tries to sign the item in a place where it will show up.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MARTY-MCSORLEY-SIGNED-8X10-PHOTO-COA-SAN-JOSE-SHARKS-/290602012510?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43a93acf5e
JOHNNY BENCH!
I would also have to say Pete Rose. Both instantly recognizable and legendary
Barry Larkin, Marvin Lewis , T.O., Anthony Munoz
Long while back I opened the all sports from UD and pulled the first booklet…Mantle/Unitas 1/1 and while I did sell it, their autographs are engrained in my head forever..Swisher’s not bad either..wink wink
Best auto by far is Mickey Mantle’s. Very clean, legible, and pristine.
I’d have to say Mickey Mantle has the best autograph hands down!!!!!!!!
John “Blue Moon” Odom – it’s precise, neat, completely legible, and it even includes his nickname in quotation marks.
http://i.ebayimg.com/05/!B60Wq0gBGk~$(KGrHqMOKkMEyN4dblroBMydrV)oNQ~~-1_12.JPG
Harmon Killebrew, Kirby Puckett, and Pete Rose
Babe Ruth and don mattingly.
Elvis Andrus
Definitely Richard Petty
Andre Dawson, Griffey Jr. and Dennis Eckersley are amazing in baseball, Guy Lafleur, Mike Bossy and Jean Beliveau memorable