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Perfecting the Autograph

By April Whitzman, @AlleyCat17

When Baseball Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson came to the MLB Fan Cave the other day, he viewed the Cave’s incredible ‘Ball Wall,’ made up of 100’s of balls signed by player and celebrity guests. As Idelson admired each ball, he spoke to the Dwellers about the importance of a legible autograph. “Why would a player just scribble your name if no one is going to be able to read it? An autograph is a big part of one’s brand,” Idelson said.

And Idelson is right. I’ve collected multiple autographed memorabilia that I’ve been unable to identify because it is scribbled and with absence of a number or a date.

There are, however, athletes that understand the importance of a legible autograph. One of such athletes is Canadian and Twins first baseman, Justin Morneau, who indicated that he has worked hard on perfecting his autograph. He even admitted that he worked on it specifically with Harmon Killebrew, a Twins Baseball Hall of Famer. "He saw a ball that I signed and said, 'What is this?' And he made me sit down with him for about 20 minutes and sign autographs,” Morneau said. “Mine still isn't as good as he probably would like it, but it's better than it was."

What is your favorite baseball player signature? Comment below.