Roger Maris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Roger Maris |
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Maris in 1960
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| Right fielder | |||
| Born: September 10, 1934 Hibbing, Minnesota, U.S. |
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| Died: December 14, 1985 (aged 51) Houston, Texas, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 16, 1957, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 29, 1968, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .260 | ||
| Home runs | 275 | ||
| Runs batted in | 850 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Roger Eugene Maris (September 10, 1934 – December 14, 1985) was an American professional baseball player. He was a right fielder for 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Roger Maris is most famous for setting a new MLB record for the most home runs in a single season. He hit 61 home runs in 1961. This record stood for many years. It was the American League (AL) record until Aaron Judge hit 62 home runs in 2022.
Maris started playing in the minor leagues from 1953 to 1956. He made his first major league appearance with the Cleveland Indians in 1957. Later, he played for the Kansas City Athletics and the New York Yankees. He finished his career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1967 and 1968. Maris was an AL All-Star multiple times. He also won the AL Most Valuable Player award in 1960 and 1961. In 1960, he earned a Rawlings Gold Glove Award for his excellent defense. Roger Maris played in seven World Series games. His teams won the World Series in 1961, 1962, and 1967.
His 1961 home run record was a big topic of discussion. The previous record was 60 home runs, set by Babe Ruth in 1927. At that time, MLB teams played 154 games. But in 1961, the AL season was extended to 162 games. Maris hit his 61st home run in the very last game of the season. This led some people to question if his record was truly fair. In 1998, Mark McGwire hit 70 home runs, and Sammy Sosa hit 66. Then, in 2001, Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs. These players later faced accusations of using performance-enhancing drugs. Maris's AL single-season home run record stood until 2022. That's when Aaron Judge hit 62 home runs for the New York Yankees.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Roger Eugene Maris was born on September 10, 1934, in Hibbing, Minnesota. In 1955, his family changed their last name from Maras to Maris. Roger's parents were Rudolph and Ann. They were from Minnesota and had Croatian family backgrounds.
Roger's older brother, Rudolph, got polio in 1951 when he was 18. Roger's parents divorced in 1960. His family moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota, in 1938. They then moved to Fargo, North Dakota, in 1946. Roger started Fargo Central High School in 1948. In 1950, he moved to Bishop Shanley High School in Fargo. He graduated from there in June 1952.
At Shanley High, Roger played both baseball and football. In football, he set a national high school record. He scored four touchdowns in one game from returns (two kickoff returns, one punt return, and one interception return). He also scored a fifth touchdown in that game from a 32-yard run. Roger met his future wife, Patricia, when they were in tenth grade at a high school basketball game.
Starting in Minor League Baseball
Maris began his baseball career in the minor leagues in 1953. He played for the Fargo-Moorhead Twins, which was part of the Indians' organization. He was named the rookie of the year in the Northern League. The next season, he moved to Keokuk, Iowa.
In his four minor league seasons, from 1953 to 1956, Maris had a .303 batting average. He also hit 78 home runs. In one game in 1956, playing for the Indianapolis Indians, Maris set a record. He brought in seven runs for his team. This was a record for the Junior World Series.
Playing in Major League Baseball
Roger Maris played for several teams during his time in Major League Baseball.
Cleveland Indians (1957–1958)
Maris played his first major league game on April 16, 1957. He was with the Cleveland Indians. Just two days later, he hit his first career home run. It was a grand slam against the Detroit Tigers. He finished his first season with 14 home runs. In June 1958, after hitting nine home runs for the Indians, he was traded. He went to the Kansas City Athletics.
Kansas City Athletics (1958–1959)
Maris played 99 games for Kansas City in 1958 and hit 19 home runs. In 1959, he hit 16 home runs but missed 45 games. This was because he had an appendix operation. He was chosen to play in one of the All-Star Games that year. In December 1959, Maris was traded again. He went to the New York Yankees in a big trade involving seven players.
New York Yankees (1960–1966)
In 1960, Maris started strong with the Yankees. In his first game, he hit a single, a double, and two home runs. He was again named to the AL All-Star team. He led the AL in several categories that season. These included slugging percentage (.581), runs batted in (112), and extra base hits (64). He also hit 39 home runs and had a .283 batting average. He won the American League's Most Valuable Player award. He also received a Gold Glove Award for his great defense. The Yankees won the American League championship. But they lost the 1960 World Series to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
1961 Season: Chasing History
In 1961, the AL added two new teams. To keep the schedule balanced, the season was made longer. It changed from 154 games to 162 games. This meant players had more chances to hit home runs. People started wondering if anyone could break Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs from 1927. Maris himself thought it would be very hard to do.
The Yankees were hitting many home runs that year. Maris and his teammate, Mickey Mantle, were both hitting home runs at a record pace. They were called the "M&M Boys". Sportswriters tried to create a rivalry between them. But teammates like Yogi Berra said there was no real rivalry. Mantle later got sick, leaving Maris as the main player chasing the record.
The baseball commissioner, Ford Frick, made a controversial statement. He said that if Ruth's record was broken after 154 games, it should be marked differently. A sportswriter suggested an asterisk next to the new record. As Maris got closer to the record, he faced a lot of pressure. He even received threats.
Maris had 59 home runs after the Yankees' 154th game. This meant he didn't break Ruth's record within the original season length. But Maris kept going. He hit his 61st home run on October 1, 1961. It was in the fourth inning of the very last game of the season. The game was at Yankee Stadium. Boston Red Sox pitcher Tracy Stallard threw the pitch. A fan named Sal Durante caught the ball. Maris won the 1961 Hickok Belt as the top athlete. He also won the American League's MVP Award for the second year in a row. The stress of chasing the record was so intense that Maris reportedly lost clumps of hair. Over time, the "asterisk" controversy faded away. Most baseball records recognized Maris as the official single-season home run record holder.
1962–1966 Seasons
In 1962, Maris was an All-Star for the fourth time in a row. He made a fantastic play in Game 7 of the 1962 World Series. This play helped the Yankees win the game and the World Series. It was the last World Series title for the Yankees until 1977.
In 1963, Maris played in only 90 games and hit 23 home runs. He was injured during the 1963 World Series. The Yankees lost that series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In 1964, he played in 141 games and hit 26 home runs. Maris hit a home run in Game 6 of the 1964 World Series. The Yankees lost that series to the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1965, Maris had more physical problems. He had surgery on his hand. In 1966, he played most of the season with a broken bone in his hand that wasn't diagnosed correctly. On December 8, 1966, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals.
St. Louis Cardinals (1967–1968)
Maris played his last two seasons with the Cardinals. He helped them win the championship in 1967 and 1968. They also won the 1967 World Series. In that World Series, Maris played very well. He had a .385 batting average, hit one home run, and brought in seven runs. This was his best World Series performance.
Later Life and Passing
After retiring from baseball in 1968, Maris moved to Gainesville, Florida. In the 1970s and 1980s, he and his brother owned a Budweiser beer distribution business. The owner of the Cardinals, Gussie Busch, helped Maris start this business. Maris also coached baseball at Oak Hall High School in Gainesville. The school named its baseball field after him in 1990.
Maris was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (a type of cancer) in 1983. He started the Roger Maris Celebrity Golf Tournament to raise money for cancer research. Roger Maris passed away from the disease on December 14, 1985, at age 51. He was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Fargo, North Dakota.
Media Appearances
Maris and Mantle acted in a 1962 movie called Safe at Home!, playing themselves. That same year, Maris, Mantle, and Yogi Berra also appeared in the movie That Touch of Mink.
In 1980, Maris, Mantle, and other former Yankee players appeared in the film It's My Turn. Maris also appeared on the TV show Hee Haw in November 1980.
Maris's wife, Pat, appeared on the game show To Tell the Truth on October 2, 1961.
Legacy and Honors
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| Roger Maris's number 9 was retired by the New York Yankees in 1984. |
Even though Commissioner Frick made a statement in 1961, no asterisk was ever officially used next to Maris's home run record in record books. Maris once said in 1980, "They acted as though I was doing something wrong... Do you know what I have to show for 61 home runs? Nothing. Exactly nothing."
Maris's MLB single-season home run record was broken by Mark McGwire in 1998, who hit 70. Barry Bonds set a new MLB record with 73 home runs in 2001. Other players also surpassed Maris's mark. However, McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds have all been linked to using performance-enhancing drugs. Maris remained the AL record-holder for most home runs in a season until Aaron Judge hit his 62nd home run on October 4, 2022.
In 1964, Maris received North Dakota's Roughrider Award. In 1977, he was added to the North Dakota American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame.
On July 22, 1984, the New York Yankees honored Roger Maris. They retired his No. 9 jersey and placed a plaque for him in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. The plaque calls Maris "A great player and author of one of the most remarkable chapters in the history of major league baseball." Maris was there for the ceremony.
The Roger Maris Museum opened in 1984 in Fargo, North Dakota. The Roger Maris Cancer Center at Sanford Hospital in Fargo is also named after him.
The United States Postal Service released a special stamp for Roger Maris on September 17, 1999. It was part of the "Celebrate the Century" series. This is a rare honor, as only a few baseball players have their own U.S. postage stamp.
Actor Barry Pepper played Roger Maris in the 2001 HBO movie 61*.
In 2005, because of the steroid accusations against other players, the North Dakota Senate asked MLB to recognize Roger Maris's 61 home runs as the true single-season record.
In 2009, Maris was inducted into the Baseball Reliquary's Shrine of the Eternals. As of 2010, a billboard in Fargo still called Maris the "Legitimate Home Run King."
On September 24, 2011, the Yankees celebrated the 50th anniversary of Maris's record-breaking home run.
Hall of Fame Consideration
Roger Maris was considered for election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Baseball writers voted on him from 1974 to 1988. So far, Maris has not been elected to the Hall of Fame.
In 1977, a sportswriter named Greg Hansen said it was unfair that Maris wasn't in the Hall of Fame. He pointed out that Maris had won two MVP awards and hit 61 home runs. Maris himself believed he would never be inducted.
In 2010, the Hall of Fame created a new committee to consider players from earlier eras. Maris was a candidate for this committee in 2021 but was not chosen.
Roger Maris's Baseball Statistics
Here are some of Roger Maris's main statistics from his major league career:
| Years | Games | PA (Times at bat) | AB (Official at-bats) | Runs | Hits | 2B (Doubles) | 3B (Triples) | HR (Home Runs) | RBI (Runs Batted In) | SB (Stolen Bases) | BB (Walks) | SO (Strikeouts) | OBP | SLG | BA (Batting Average) | Fld% (Fielding Percentage) |
| 12 | 1463 | 5847 | 5101 | 826 | 1325 | 195 | 42 | 275 | 850 | 21 | 652 | 733 | .345 | .476 | .260 | .982 |
Major League Baseball Awards
Here are some of the awards Roger Maris received:
| Award / Honor | How Many Times | Year(s) |
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| American League All-Star | 7 | 1959, 1960 (twice), 1961 (twice), 1962 (twice) |
| American League Most Valuable Player | 2 | 1960, 1961 |
| American League Gold Glove Award (Right Field) | 1 | 1960 |
Other Awards and Achievements
- Hickok Belt (1961)
- Sporting News Player of the Year (1961)
- World Series champion: 1961, 1962, 1967
- AL leader in home runs, runs scored, and total bases: 1961
- AL leader in runs batted in and extra base hits: 1960, 1961
- AL leader in slugging average: 1960
- AL leader in double plays turned as right fielder and outfielder: 1959
- AL leader in fielding average as right fielder: 1960, 1964
- NL leader in fielding average as right fielder: 1967
- New York Yankees No. 9 jersey retired / Monument Park honoree: 1984
MLB Records Set by Roger Maris
Most Home Runs in a Single MLB Season: 61 (1961)
- This record was broken by Mark McGwire on September 8, 1998.
Most Home Runs in a Single AL Season: 61 (1961)
- This record was broken by Aaron Judge on October 4, 2022.
Images for kids
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Maris in 1960
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Babe Ruth's 60th home run bat (1927), Roger Maris's 61st home run bat (1961), and Mark McGwire's and Sammy Sosa's 70th and 66th home run bats (1998)
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Maris (left) with Mickey Mantle in 1961
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Maris signs a baseball for President John F. Kennedy in the 1962 season
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Roger Maris's retired number 9 plaque
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The Roger Maris Museum in Fargo, North Dakota
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Roger Maris plaque in Yankee Stadium's Monument Park
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Roger Maris billboard in Fargo
See also
In Spanish: Roger Maris para niños
- 50 home run club
- List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball home run records
