Roger Maris

Lore & Background

Maris's home run record was controversial, as the previous single-season home run record (60, set by Babe Ruth in 1927) was set during a period when MLB teams played 154 games per season. Maris broke Ruth's record in the year the AL baseball season was extended to 162 games, hitting his 61st home run in the last game of the season, which led to questions about the legitimacy of his record. However, he hit his first home run in the 11th game of the season, so that he hit all 61 within a 151-game span. Maris's major league record remained unbroken until Mark McGwire surpassed it in 1998; his AL record stood until 2022, when Aaron Judge hit 62 home runs for the New York Yankees.

Reader's Guide

Maris played in the minor leagues from 1953 to 1956, and made his major league debut for the Cleveland Indians in 1957. He was traded to the Kansas City Athletics during the 1958 season, and to the New York Yankees after the 1959 season. Maris finished his playing career as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1967 and 1968. Maris was an AL All-Star from 1959 through 1962, the AL Most Valuable Player in 1960 and 1961, and an AL Gold Glove Award winner in 1960. Maris appeared in seven World Series; he played for Yankees teams that won the World Series in 1961 and 1962 and for a Cardinals team that won the World Series in 1967.

Did You Know?

• Maris's father changed the family surname from Maras to Maris in 1955.
• Maris set a national high school record for most return touchdowns in a game, with four.
• In Game 2 of the 1956 Junior World Series, Maris set a record by driving in seven runs.
• Maris was traded from the Kansas City Athletics to the New York Yankees in a seven-player deal on December 11, 1959.