Baseball DIY

At practice the other day, the Captain passed around a couple of baseballs that he wanted us to sign as a souvenir of the St. Louis Unions first season (that is, of the Unions' 2004 season...just like a man to put something off to the last minute). With ballpoint pen in hand, something occurred to me: it's pretty damned hard to sign a baseball, especially while standing up. To sign a small, spherical object somewhat legibly and smoothly must take hours of practice. For better or worse, I don't think enough of myself to practice signing baseballs in the event that someone wants my autograph (this event would, of course, mean more to the autographer than the autographee). While not all MLBers take the time to sign a ball well, those who can sign their name so that you can read it possess a skill that takes time and dedication to master. Huzzah to them.