Baseball autographs have changed over the years

No longer does an immaculate, full-bodied, legal identification stain cowhide or parchment. Now, any casual jotting of figures, if one would care to call them that, does the job — not just loops, but arches and whorls as well.

This undated photo provided by Hunt Auctions shows a baseball in pristine condition that Hall of Famer Babe Ruth autographed for Boston Red Sox great Ted Williams and sold for $195,500 during an auction of Williams' sports, military and personal memorabilia, Saturday, April 28, 2012, in Boston. The ball, which had the inscription: "To my pal Ted Williams, From Babe Ruth," set a record sale for a baseball signed by Ruth that wasn't used in a game, Hunt Auctions Inc. said. (AP Photo/Hunt Auctions)

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