A Matter of Trust

Bottom line.  Unless you've witnessed a person signing something, you never can truly tell whether or not a person's signature is real.  I mean.  Let's face it.  My mom could go out and give me an autograph, tell me she got it signed in person, and there's always the slight chance she fibbed to make me feel better about the authenticity.

The same thing goes for certified autographs like the ones we pull out of packs:

2010 Topps Peak Performance #PPA-KS

Is it real?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  It boils down to trust and faith.  I trust my mom and I have faith in Topps that they are being honest to their customers.

I also have faith in athletes like Kurt Suzuki that they actually take the time to sign the stickers Topps sends them, instead of having their wives, girlfriends, husbands, boyfriends, mothers, fathers, friends, teammates, accountants, or any other acquaintances do it for them.

But that's the thing.  Just like all good relationships are built on trust, so is this relationship I have with our hobby.  And if the day ever arrives when I lose faith in the card companies, the players, and/or fellow collectors... that's when I know it's time for me to switch hobbies.

Because like Billy Joel sang... It's always been a matter of trust:

With that being said... here are a few "uncertified" autographs that Brett over at Card Collector's World sent me:

Codiroli was the Athletics staff ace back in 1985 when he led the American League in starts and his team in wins.  He's also a fellow San Jose State Spartan.

Gaudin is another Athletics pitcher to lead the American League in starts.  He's bounced around the MLB a few times, was in the news for groping a woman in a Las Vegas emergency room, and won a World Series ring with the 2009 New York Yankees.

The year that Gaudin won a ring, Igawa was pitching for the Yankees' AAA team down in Scranton.  I'm guessing... he didn't receive a ring.  But the 20 million dollars he made off the Yankees from 2007 to 2011 should be enough to buy him one.

In the states, Igawa has the reputation of being a huge bust.  However I'm sure fans in Japan remember him being a 3x all-star, 3x strikeout champion, and 2003 Central League MVP.

I plan on remembering him for his beautiful signature, which is a huge addition to my Japanese PC.

Ahhh... Mr. Iguchi.  Where the heck did you go?  Remember when you contended for the American League Rookie of the Year Award?  Man... those were the good old days.

This particular autograph Brett sent is my personal favorite.  I love that Iguchi signed it in the best possible spot.  And although the 2005 Topps baseball card design doesn't rank in my Top 20, they do look amazing when it features an on-card autograph.

There have been nineteen pitchers who have given up fourteen or more earned runs in a game, but only one did it in fewer than three innings pitched.  That honor goes to Mr. Mazzaro.

He actually bounced back and had a pretty decent season back in 2013 with the Pirates.  Going back a little further on his timeline, Vin won back to back state championships in high school, which is pretty cool.

Now I know that these five on-card autographs aren't certified by PSA or JSA, but who really cares?  They're from my cardboard buddy and that's good enough for me.

But my question for you is...

How much faith do you put into card companies and athletes when it comes to certified autographs?

Thanks Brett for another pair of generous packages.  I apologize it took me nearly two months to open them up.  I promise it won't take me that long to ship out your package.  Do you TRUST me?

Happy Sunday and sayonara!