Going, Going . . . Gone!

The Trouble With Collecting Hall of Famers

Some people have spent their lives searching for the Lost Ark, El Dorado, Atlantis, the Loch Ness Monster, even Big Foot. Somewhere between apparitions and theories, these elusive figments of history exist. Add another to that list: Collectors of autographs of every member of baseball's Hall of Fame. With the addition of George Davis and Bullet Joe Rogan, those who claimed to have a full collection are now short of the mark. With the inclusion of obscure 19th Century figures and Negro Leaguers, the quest for collecting every Hall of Fame signature is that much more challenging, if not flat-out impossible. Even Cooperstown, with its vast library and collection of legal documents and checks, says it cannot claim to have autographs from 100 percent of its 237 inductees. Doug Averitt, Kevin Keating, Ron Zollo and Barry Halper said they had a full set before the Veterans Committee made its announcement March 3. Keating has a 1915 letter written and signed by Davis, but no Rogan. Sources say Averitt and Halper lack both. Still other collectors say they are just a handful short. A dozen or so collectors may lack a dozen or so signatures. Of course, the autograph search goes on, and observers are watching to see what surfaces, like whale watchers looking for a burst of water off the coast of Alaska. A pivotal question pondered by serious autograph collectors is, "How many of the signatures are cut signatures?" Cut signatures are, well, cut from various sources, maybe an envelope, a letter or an album. Their authenticity is highly suspect.

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