I would say it's likely his signature...
1) They way he makes his open "O" at the start and drops the "a" at the end of Cepeda is unique, so someone randomly writing his name on the back wouldn't have those characteristics unless they were trying to copy his name.
2) Letter formation is pretty close to the signature on his 1959 Topps card, that signature would date from about the same time.
3) The signature is in pencil, would not have worked on the front of the photo. Prints of that era had a matte back and would have been a no-brainer to sign on the back.
|