Does anyone else find this autograph pathetic

[frikativ54]

The posts from Frik and others regarding young people being borderline allergic to good cursive writing today all are sensible and accurate. Of course, there are a few old people that have crappy signatures, as well, as anyone who's seen mine on a LOA can attest.

LMAO, Dave! Back when I was growing up, we actually practiced our signatures - or at least, my brother and I did. We needed to have them look good, in case we made something of ourselves or had to sign legal documents. Gosh, I feel old.

[jmeekins33]

I do not buy or collect autographs from players with ugly or incomplete signatures. I hate seeing a guy's "signature" that is just his initials and if you are lucky, their jersey number. What is the point?

I know it's a pain in the arse to sign your name a thousand times in a row but if you don't like doing it then don't take the money from Upper Deck or whomever. Also, if there really are young players that don't even know how to sign their own names, I don't want anything to do with them.

This is just my opinion and I have no problem with those that disagree. To each their own.

[godwulf]

I guess my thinking is similar to Roady's...if that's how a particular player signs, that's fine - it's his business, especially if I'm getting the signature for free. If a guy wants the fans to think he's illiterate and can't even spell his own name, well...

Matt Williams has signed for me many, many times, in all kinds of situations, and his signature never varies by so much as a line - "Matt Williams", in a neat, cursive hand, and you can read every letter. He obviously takes great pride in his name and shows respect for the fans he gives it to.

Last summer, after an Arizona League game, I was getting one of the young DBacks prospects, Jacob Cordero, to sign a foul ball that he'd hit earlier. He was putting a very nice, elaborate autograph on it, and he stopped, looked embarassed, and began apologizing because he'd let his signature stray up too close to, and gotten ink on, one of the stitches. He wanted to get me a new ball, and it took a minute to convince him that it really WAS okay, that it was fine, that I wanted him to sign THAT ball, and he hadn't "ruined" anything.

You have to love the rookies. Occasionally I have to explain to one of them what the "sweet spot" is.