Today’s subject has had some ups and downs with the Cubs. There are a lot of stretches where he is dominant and then some longer than expected stretches where he can’t get a dang out. No matter what, it is safe to say that he’s cemented his role in the major leagues as a reliever only. I can only assume that as he was coming up as a prospect that there was an assumption he would be a starting pitcher, because he has a TON of autographs and was prominently included in a lot sets relievers normally would not be in. Even as a rookie, he was a big enough name to be added everywhere, and again I have to assume that people thought he’d get a chance to start.
What that really means for me is that I have dozens of signatures to chase, but the prices are pretty low for non-starter pitchers, so it’s just a matter of time. Let’s take a look at one of many I’ve already acquired.
Even after having a hand in the case-breaking world, Autographed cards still fascinate me. Allow me to explain with this series introduction from the early days of the blog. To see the other parts of the series, click on the “Card-ography” tag at the bottom.
Now that I’m back into collecting, one of the biggest surprises greeting me at the door was that signatures on cardboard (or on stickers placed on cardboard) are now a regular part of the hobby. In fact, it’s basically expected at this point. I know there are plenty of people who feel that if their box doesn’t have an auto – or even the RIGHT auto – then it’s a waste of money. Hell, I’m still not completely jaded by relics, so I can’t understand this theory. I know that most of the autos aren’t all that valuable, but seeing that blue, red, and sometimes black ink on a card in your hands still holds significance to me. It still makes for some of the most enjoyable moments in collecting. That’s why I’m starting a series that will analyze the signatures we see. It’s common to see people lump them into “good” and “bad” categories, but I want to take it farther than that. This player took the time to sign your card (although some of them don’t take tons of time). I’m going to take the time to inspect it.
Refractor version – need 4 more from the 2016 BoChro set
This card is one of seven C.J. Edwards/Carl Edwards Jr. autographs I bought at the 2017 National. I’m already looking forward to the 2019 show so I can hopefully grab another handful or two.
Literal:
If you didn’t know his name, what would you think this said? “= Cl EOJ”
Style points:
There is little to score here in his favor. This is a crazy big scribble with little form or grace.
Space Usage:
He makes the most of his signing area and stretches those letters. That’s pretty cool at least. Top to bottom and left to right, space is all utilized.
Laziness:
I’m going to say yes and no for this part. It’s not lazy because he seems to be writing just about every letter of a reasonably sized name, including the J at the end. It is a little lazy because it’s sloppy and the signatures across different cards is not all that consistent.
Intangibles:
This example is actually one of the most jagged signatures I have. Most have cleaner loops or flow. Maybe this card was near the end of a longer session. The dude did sign a lot of cards and stickers for 2016 sets, after all.
Overall:
2016 and before, there are a mountain of autographs still to chase. 2017, there is one. 2018, a couple more in Panini products. I think the worst is over in terms of signature overload. Unless he does get that chance to be a starter and finds success in that role, or if he gets to be a dominant closer, I think my auto collecting journey should be a fun and easy walk on level ground.
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