Maris, Roger E. [Maras]
Baseball
b. Sept. 10, 1934, Hibbing, MN
d. Dec. 14, 1985
Instead of becoming a hero for hitting 61 home runs in 1961 to break Babe Ruth's long-standing single season record, Maris was despised, even hated, by many fans. Soft-spoken and modest, he didn't respond well to the media pressure than engulfed him as he approached the record, and he was often curt and discourteous with sportswriters.
Unfortunately, that single season also obscured his all-around ability. He wasn't a great baseball player, perhaps, but he was a very good one, an excellent defensive right fielder with an outstanding arm as well as a power hitter. And he did won the most valuable player award twice, a feat accomplished by only a handful of players.
Maris Joined the Cleveland Indians in 1957 and was traded to the Kansas City Athletics during the 1958 season. The Athletics sent him to the New York Yankees in 1960. He promptly led the league with 112 RBI and a .581 slugging percentage, hitting 39 home runs. He won his first MVP award that year.
In 1961, Maris and teammate Mickey Mantle had a long duel for the home run title. Mantle faded toward the end of the season and finished with 54 but Maris, despite the pressure, hit his 61st on the last day of the season. He also led the league with 132 runs scored and 142 RBI to win the MVP award for the second year in a row and was also named male athlete of the year by the Associated Press.
Maris struggled with a variety of injuries during the next four seasons and went to the NL's St. Louis Cardinals in 1967. He played on two pennant winners in two seasons there, retiring in 1968.
In 12 major league seasons, Maris batted .260 with 1,325 hits, including 195 doubles, 42 triples, and 275 home runs. He scored 826 runs and had 851 RBI.