[drc]

Contracts are relatively safe (I said relatively, get off my back), in part because the player himself has to sign the contract for it to be legal. Or, if it is signed by someone else, it has to be clearly noted that person was signing for the player. Tom Seaver wasn't going to risk not getting his $2 million by having his maid or brother sign his name. Both parties in the negotiations were going to make sure Tom himself wrote his name. Also signing someone else's name to a contract might be, if not probably is, illegal. You will occasionally see something like "Joe Blow, signing for Mr. Famous Movie Actor" with Joe Blow being Mr. Actors's agent, lawyer or such. But that's different than someone signing someone else's name straight.

In short, for a $2 million contract between the Reds and Tom Seaver, both sides know Tom has to signed that thing for it to be legally binding. This is why even today MLB contracts are signed in person in front of representatives from both sides. Just take a look at an old photo of a Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle or Alex Rodriguez signing a contract and count the number of suits watching him press pen to paper. It's part show but it's mostly part making sure and documenting its his signature on that contract.