Roger Maris
| Birthdate | 9/10/1934 |
| Death Date | 12/14/1985 |
| Debut Year | 1957 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Athletics, Cardinals, Indians, Yankees |
| Position | Right Field |
A back-to-back MVP in 1960 and ’61, Roger Maris joined Babe Ruth as the only players to top the 60-homer mark before the steroid era.
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Roger Maris earned back-to-back Most Valuable Player Awards in 1960 and '61
Roger Maris earned back-to-back Most Valuable Player Awards in 1960 and '61
A two-time MVP, Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth‘s single-season homerun record by smashing 61 dingers in 1961. Many believe Maris should be in the Hall of Fame.
The ’61 seasons was magical for Maris. He led the league in runs, homers, and runs batted in. The baseball writers voted him the Most Valuable Player of the American League for the second consecutive season.
Maris’ record-breaking season came with controversy. Ruth set the record of 60 homers when teams played 154 games per season. By 1961, the schedule was expanded to include 8 additional games. Maris hit his 61st homer on the last game of the season.
Today Maris is second on the American League list for homers in a season behind fellow Yankee Aaron Judge who blasted 62 in 2022. In the steroid era three National Leaguers have bested Maris’ mark.
In 1998 Sammy Sosa muscled 66 balls out of the park. He followed it up with 63 long balls in ’99. For good measure Sosa slugged 64 homers in 2001. Senior Circuit bombers Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds each reached the 70-homer plateau. In 1998 McGwire hit 70 homers. Three seasons later, Bonds hit 73.
Maris played in four consecutive All Star games starting in 1959. A three-time World Champion, Maris appeared in seven Fall Classics, five with the Yankees and two with the Cardinals.
After his retirement in 1968, Maris owned a Budweiser beer distributorship in Florida. Gussie Busch who owned the Cardinals when Maris played in St. Louis, got Maris started in the beer business.
Maris passed away from non-Hodgkin lymphoma at the age of 51 in 1985.
In the collection is a 1960 Topps baseball card autographed by Maris. That season was a breakout year for the slugger. He set a career high in homers, led the league in RBI, won a Gold Glove, and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Whether Roger Maris makes the Hall of Fame or not, he remains a respected and beloved baseball figure.
In 1961 Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris challenged Babe's single-season home run record
In 1961 Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris challenged Babe's single-season home run record
Larger than life, Babe Ruth set both the single-season and career home run marks then held them for the rest of his life. In 1961 fellow Yankees Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle mounted a challenge to Ruth’s 60-home run 1927 season.
New York fans rooted for lifelong Yankee Mantle. In contrast, Maris was playing for his third team and in only his second season with the Yankees.
The M&M boys both got off to hot starts. By the end of June both sluggers were ahead of Ruth’s pace in 1927. As the calendar turned to August, Maris had 40 homers with Mickey just one behind. By September 15th Roger had 56 with Mickey at 53.
Mantle hit just one more the rest of the way while Roger kept hitting balls out of the park. Maris caught the Bambino on September 26th with a homer off of Baltimore’s Jack Fisher. Three games against Boston remained.
Maris went homerless in the first two; it all came down to the final game of the season.
Facing the Red Sox 6’5″ right-hander Tracy Stallard, Maris brought the crowd to its feet in the first by launching the first pitch deep down the left field line. Boston outfielder Carl Yastrzesmki ranged back and caught the ball just in front of the warning track. The crowd collectively exhaled.
Maris came up again in the 4th. After taking two pitches outside of the strike zone, Maris waited intently. Stallard delivered the 2-0 pitch and Roger put his barrel on it. The ball climbed high in the air and went over the right field fence for #61. The record was his.
The epic run in ’61 by Mantle and Maris set the still-standing record for most homers by a pair of teammates in a season.
In the collection is a notarized signature of Mickey Mantle. Signed on May 1, 1990, this sheet has a picture of the sweet-swinging 20-time All Star as well as his career stats.
Maris spent seven of his twelve big league seasons with the New York Yankees
Maris spent seven of his twelve big league seasons with the New York Yankees
Roger Maris played for four big league teams during his dozen years in the majors. The slugger spent two seasons each with the Indians, Athletics, and Cardinals and seven campaigns with the New York Yankees.
Each of his four all star appearances came with the Yanks as did all of his 30-homer and 100-RBI showings.
The back-to-back AL MVP for New York finished his career with 1,325 hits, 275 homers, 850 RBI, and a .260 average. His time in the Big Apple included 203 of those dingers and a 139 OPS+.
Maris was immortalized on July 21, 1984 with a plaque dedication at Yankee Stadium’s Monument Park. That same day the team retired his #9.
Shown above is an autographed photo of the Yankee great.
The finest performance in Maris' seven World Series came in 1967 with the Cardinals
The finest performance in Maris' seven World Series came in 1967 with the Cardinals
Though best remembered for his back-to-back MVP seasons with the Yankees that resulted in World Series titles, Roger Maris also earned a ring with the Cardinals. Dealt to St. Louis in December of 1966, Maris helped the Redbirds to two pennants and one Fall Classic triumph before retiring.
During the 1960s Maris appeared in the World Series seven times. His overall Fall Classic numbers include a six homers, 18 RBI and a slash line of .217/.298/,368. In the 1967 World Series with the Cardinals he was at his best. Putting up his finest October performance, Maris went 10-for-26 (.385), with three walks, a double, one homer and seven RBI. His Cardinals squad prevailed a 7-game thriller over the Boston Red Sox to give Maris his third and final ring.
Shown here is a ticket to Game 5 of the 1967 postseason tilt. St. Louis got stifled by Boston ace Jim Lonborg who allowed just three hits. Two of them, including a 9th-inning solo home run, came off the bat of Maris. The long ball accounted for the only Cardinal run in the 3-1 loss.
Lonborg has signed the ticket, writing, “Jim Lonborg 1967 World Series 3-hit complete-game”.
In 1998 Mark McGwire brought Roger Maris back to the forefront for baseball fans
In 1998 Mark McGwire brought Roger Maris back to the forefront for baseball fans
In this letter, Florida Marlins advance scout Moeller writes about Mark McGwire’s pursuit of Roger Maris’ single-season home run record. Maris blasted 61 with the Yankees in 1961.
“When Big Mac and Sammy Sosa chased Roger Maris, it helped baseball heal. Each night when I was scouting the Cardinals, McGwire would come to bat and the crowd would buzz with excitement – and he delivered. 61 was a magical number and Mark hit 70!”
Most didn’t realize at the time that both Sosa and McGwire were benefiting from performance-enhancing drugs.
Baseball was pure back then….clean…..exciting….fun….and affordable…..
should have been in Cooperstown a long time ago,,,,,,politics!
McGuire and Sosa brought fans back to the game and should be recognized for that. But not for the home run record because everyone knows they cheated. Maris got an astrix* on his 61* home runs. But the astrix should have been on Ruth’s home runs because he only played against white players. Where is the astrix* for that? Maris paid dearly for those home runs in 1961. Do some research on it. Watch the movie 61* directed by Billy Crystal if all else fails.
He deserves to be in the HOF
I think the *asterisk has now been removed from Maris’ 61 HR. Not sure.
He had only a few standout years. Career totals low