On this day in 1961, Roger Maris of Fargo, North Dakota, hit his 61st home run of the year for the New York Yankees. He became the first player to break the record of 60 round-trippers set by the great Babe Ruth in 1927, 34 years before.
Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds all later hit more than 61 in a season but their performances were tainted by rumors of steroid use. And they were all in the National League. Maris' record of 61 home runs still stands as the American League record 53 years later.
In tribute to a fellow North Dakotan, here's a great baseball tune.
Oh man! What a year to be a Yankee fan. We were routing for the Mick, but he got hurt and hitting in cleanup Rodger probably got better pitches to hit, but man what pressure on him unreal. He was a great great player, he could do it all. A wrist injury later cut down on his homerun swing, which was made for the Stadium.
ReplyDeleteThx for the memories of the M+M year.
Oh yeah, without a Google, I think the pitcher was Tracy Stallard or Stafford. Probably Stallard kudos on him for throwing it over the plate.
ReplyDeleteYou're exactly right. Tracy Stallard was the pitcher.
DeleteMaris played right field; the song always makes me think of the great center fielders like Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle and the one I got to see in Seattle, Ken Griffey Jr.
ReplyDeleteIf you go to the Oregon sports Hall of Fame, you find a baseball player there that was around a 250 hitter. His name is Eddie Basinski. Nobody would know who he is except fans of the old Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League. He was a baseball player plus a concert violinist and conductor. Larry King mentioned his name once on the radio as Jewish ball players he admired when growing up in Brooklyn. Not a star but nonetheless a beloved sports figure in Oregon.
The Beavers were a fun team, and the old PCL was a great league. The SF Seals were a good team too.
DeleteLou Pinella was a Beaver once, as was Luis Tiant. Satchel Paige even pitched for them one season in the early 60's I think. Saw them several times in 70-71.
My Dad and I made a special effort to see Satchel Paige piitch. I think it was 1961. He only pitched a few games as he was very old. But I remember his lanky frame.
DeleteAnd Oregon comes close to North Dakota and Maris if we can reach across the Snake River to Payette, Idaho and claim Harmon Killebrew.
Baseball has been disappointing this year (what the heck Braves?), so I appreciate this trip down memory lane to a happier time :)
ReplyDeleteAnd poor Maris was reviled by man for breaking Ruth's record. Didn't they even put an * by his record for a bit because it was more games than Ruth? But what a lineup the Yankees had that year. How'd you like to be a pitcher and face that first four?
ReplyDeleteMaris may yet make it into Cooperstown someday. I hope Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds never do. There is no place for cheats in the Hall.
ReplyDeleteFor all the Yankee fans!
ReplyDeleteI love baseball talk. Thanks all.
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