On a regular ball, the sweetspot is the best way of presenting the auto. Therefore, it's also has the most value (if that's your thing). Because guys are under various contracts with memoribilia places, they have a condition where they can't sign on the sweetspot. Some guys will break that here and there I'm sure. By rule of thumb, I usually request if they sweet spot it. Traditionally the sweetspot is reserved for the manager. Minor leaguers especially need a request because they aren't well known yet and they almost always will sign somewhere else on the ball, keeping that space open for the manager. When I was at spring training, a met a kid who caught Sammy Sosa on the way to his car. He requested the sweetspot, and Sosa replied "don't tell me where to sign" gave him the sweetspot, but the side where it's printed Rawlings Official Major League Baseball etc. OUCH.