Yogi Berra Handwriting Expert Needed
 

Anybody out there have any experience with handwriting samples of Yogi Berra? Does the "plain" handwritten autograph in the image look as though it was done in Yogi's own hand?

Thanks in advance for your forensic expertise!

Jon
www.dugouttreasures.com

LOL. "Forensic" isn't a popular word here.

Forensic!!!!???

lmao, good one Chris.

That looks like, if it's real, it was written when Yogi was not-yet 18 years old.

Can you show us any more of the writing?

Steve

Correct...if legit, it was written by a 17 year old Yogi Berra during his 1943 season in Norfolk prior to enlisting. Here's the rest of the document...

Well, here's a copy of Yogi's WWII draft registration card. He signed it on his 18th birthday in 1943. It lists his home address as in St. Louis, where he was born. Also, he didn't print the information; it is in his handwriting.

I sort of find it unlikely that he would have later printed his information on a card, since he could write, and for the printing to look like it was printed by a younger kid.

Steve

https://i.imgur.com/6I3g2a5.jpg

Yes, I have seen that draft registration card. The card itself was very likely signed by him at the bottom. All of the other writing was, according to a representative at the Yogi Berra Museum, probably done by someone else...maybe his mother. So. it still leaves me wondering what his printed handwriting looked like. And, since the index card in question called for "plain" writing, he or whomever filled it out, would have printed it.

On the first form that is printed, it looks like he gained 27 pounds while completing the form (165 to 192)

On the second form which is cursive the instructions clearly direct the individual to print to fill in the boxes. Furthermore the cursive name in the box does not look like the signature on the bottom line. If it was signed by the person that filled out the form on the same day, shouldn’t the signatures be similar? Perhaps a secretary that didn’t know how to print filled it out before Yogi signed it.;)

The Heilbroner Baseball Bureau Cards were documents that followed a player throughout their careers. So, when the card was filled out in 1943...either by Yogi or someone else...he weighed 165. When the card was last updated in 1955...as indicated at the top...I guess he weighed 192.

I don't so much have any doubts about any of the info reflected on the card, but would like to try to determine if a 17 year old, Berra did the original printing on it.

And I do agree that the writing on the draft registration card was done by two different people.


I do appreciate all the help and opinions, Guys...much appreciated.


Jon

Here's another thought:

In the first (printed) form, it says Yogi has "5" dependents. He had a wife and three sons. Larry was born in 1949, Tim in 1951, and Dale in Dec, 1956.

So, Yogi only had 4 dependents.

Even if Yogi's parents were declared his "dependents, he still didn't get his 5th "dependent" until Tim was born in 1951 (when Yogi was 26).

Steve

Zip codes were introduced in 1963.

Frankly I don't like all the obvious erasures on the piece in the OP

Yogi certainly didn't live in Montclair, NJ in 43... The original photo looks like some sort of registration card that ended in 1951... Also appears the Montclair address was not the first address in that spot and the formation of the numbers are different than the rest of card...

Here's a short thread I find about these cards...

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=257410

bingo.

Not sure if Zip Codes changed over time but Montclair Zip is 07043. The one printed on the card is for Teaneck NJ.

Since it hasn’t yet been mentioned, it seems odd that his second favorite sport was a social security number.:confused::eek::D