The 10 Most Beautiful Sports Autographs
First, a disclaimer. This is not an authoritative list of the most beautiful sports autographs. There are so many to choose. But not all autographs are created equal. Beautiful penmanship can make an item like a sports card or a ball turn into a work of art.
There had to be some qualifiers for this list: 1) How legible is the autograph? and 2) the substance and style of the autograph.
There is one final qualifier; the list consists of autographs from well-known athletes. There's no doubt there are spectacular autographs from lesser-known athletes. Still, the list is intended to include athletes whose autographs are in high demand.
1. Roberto Clemente
Clemente's autograph is elegant yet frenetic, mirroring his legendary playing style. It is also often found with his first name stacked above his last name. The autograph also shows great movement, beginning with the incredible R.
2. Richard Petty
"The King" has an autograph worthy of his nickname. The autograph flows like a river, twisting and turning at different parts but coming together from the beginning to the end to create a balanced aesthetic.
3. Simone Biles
Biles stacks her autograph, connecting the S and the B in a way that gives her name movement while also being extremely efficient. The autograph has an artist's flair, which perfectly describes Biles' style.
4. Minnie Minoso
The White Sox great has a whimsical yet serious autograph that combines a quick pace and a symmetry between his first and last name. While it contains several twists and turns, his name can still be clearly made out.
5. Dominik Hasek
We had to get some hockey in here, and for our money, Hall of Fame goalie Dominik Hasek's autograph is top-notch. Hasek's autograph takes up space, which helps enhance the look of his cards. His autograph is also a fine example of Czech script (I looked that up).
6. Althea Gibson
Gibson's autograph is fast, recognizable, and balanced. Perhaps I'm a sucker for "tall" characters, but the aesthetic of elongated letters adds movement and structure to the autograph. The 11-time Grand Slam winner has one of the nicest autographs out there.
7. Keith Hernandez
Many baseball fans believe Hernadez, an 11-time Gold Glove winner, should be in the Hall of Fame. While Hernandez awaits an eventual call to the Hall, his autograph is in our Hall of Fame. It's clean, strong, and remarkably balanced.
8. Mariano Rivera
Rivera's autograph is one of the most distinguishable in all of sports. It's clean, neat, and well-balanced, with curves in the beginning, middle, and end. The all-time great closer would "save" any old, boring baseball with his autograph.
9. Babe Ruth
The Babe's autograph is a timeless classic. It is as iconic of an autograph as it gets. While Ruth was a prolific signer, it does not take away from his penmanship. Acquiring a Ruth signature is on the holy grail list of just about any baseball collector.
10. Tom Brady
No, we're not talking about these autographs. Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time. He also has our top autograph, not because of how it looks but because of the "Easter Egg" that had been in plain sight all along. Brady recently revealed to a collector that he was writing his jersey number "12" in the B of his autograph. Can you spot it? The fact that he signed his name for so long this way, and it went mostly undetected, is a true feat.
Who did we miss or do you think belongs in the Top 10? As noted earlier, this is a subjective list and not meant to be taken as comprehensive. So here are some honorable mentions of athletes with outstanding autographs:
