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Roger Maris: Baseball’s Reluctant Hero
“It would have been a helluva lot more fun if I had not hit those sixty-one home runs.” – Roger Maris, speaking of his turbulent, record-breaking year, 1961
My recent post about the original “M & M Boys” (Christy Mathewson and Joe McGinnity) got me thinking about the better-known pair: Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. Mantle deservedly gets a lot of ink in baseball circles, but not so much Maris who may well be baseball’s greatest unsung and reluctant hero, which, by the way, is the title of a book on Maris by Tom Clavin.
Here’s a few words about the career of “Baseball’s Reluctant Hero,” Roger Maris:
Roger Maris began his professional baseball career in 1953. He reached the major leagues in 1957 playing for the Cleveland Indians and played for four teams over his 12-year major league career: Indians (1957-’58), Kansas City Athletics (1958-’59), New York Yankees (1960-’66), and St. Louis Cardinals (1967-’68). Over his career, Maris hit .260 with 275 home runs and 850 RBIs. He was a seven-time American League All-Star from 1959 through 1962; a two-time Most Valuable Player (1960 and ’61); the American League home run, runs scored, and total bases leader in 1961; a two-time American League RBI champion (1960 and ’61); the American League slugging average leader (1960).
Defensively, he was the American League leader in fielding average for right fielders (1960 and ’64), and also in the National League (1967); and a Gold Glove outfielder (1960). Maris appeared in seven World Series, five with the Yankees and two with the Cardinals, and was a member of three World Series championship teams (1961, ’62, and ’67). His #9 has been retired by the Yankees.
As is well known, he set a then major-league record 61 home runs during the 1961 season for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth’s single-season record of 60. The mark stood until 1998 when it was broken by Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa during the tainted steroid era. This record was challenged by baseball commissioner Ford Frick, who said that Maris needed to break the record in 154 games instead of the current schedule of 162 games. Frick placed an asterisk after Maris’ name in the record book which became a point of contention for many years.
The strain Maris was under that year as he challenged Babe Ruth’s record is well documented and may have contributed to his early death at age 51 in 1985. In 2001, the film 61* about Maris and Mantle’s pursuit of MLB’s single season home run record addressed the many unpleasant aspects of Maris’ season, including the hate mail, death threats, and his stress-induced hair loss.
Known best for his offensive accomplishments, Maris’ was also a fine defensive outfielder whose skills are often overlooked. He made a game-saving play in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game Seven of the 1962 World Series against the San Francisco Giants. With the Yankees leading 1-0 and Matty Alou on first, Willie Mays doubled toward the right-field line. Maris cut off the ball and made a strong throw to prevent Alou from scoring the tying run; the play set up Willie McCovey’s series-ending line drive to second baseman Bobby Richardson.
-Gary Livacari
Photo Credits: Sports Illustrated The Baseball Book; and public domain
Information: Excerpts edited from the Roger Maris Wikipedia page. Read more at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Maris
Statsitcs from the Roger Maris page at Baseball Reference.com
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