61

The number "61" should hold significance today for baseball fans.  On October 1, 1961, Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth's single-season home run record by going "yard" with his 61st four-bagger in the final game of the season.  Many fans were not happy to see Ruth's record broken, either hoping that the record would remain intact or, alternatively, be broken by the anointed one -- Mickey Mantle (who also threatened the record that year before finishing with 54 round-trippers). Maris deservedly won the American League's MVP award that year.  (Many folks forget that he also won the award the previous year.)

Roger played twelve seasons in the majors, breaking in with the Cleveland Indians in 1957, being traded to the Kansas City Athletics in June 1958, joining the Yankees in December 1959 (in a trade for, among others, Hank Bauer and Don Larsen), and wrapping up his career with St. Louis for two seasons.  He played in seven World Series, five with the Yankees and two with the Cards.

Some of his career stats include:

Games played:  1463

Batting average:  .260

Hits:  1325

Doubles:  195

Home runs:  275

RBI's:  851

Does Roger Maris deserve to be in baseball's Hall of Fame?  (He isn't the only back-to-back MVP recipient not enshrined, as Atlanta's Dale Murphy quickly comes to mind.)  For an article comparing Maris to others so honored (including Bill Mazeroski, Hack Wilson, Red Schoendienst, Phil Rizzuto, and Richie Ashburn), click here.  Maybe because I bleed Cardinal red I'm biased, but if I were on the Veteran's Committee I would vote in favor of Roger Maris.  How about other baseball fans out there?

Pictured:  Roger Maris card #9 in the 2007 Upper Deck Masterpieces set.

   

Comments

[eschapp]

He should be in. I'm not a Cardinal fan but I am from Fargo, so I too am likely biased.

[Joe]

I thought he was already in. It's shocking that he is not. The North Dakota legislature has asked that his record be reinstated due to the steroid scandals.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/7327729/

[Dave]

I'm not convinced he deserves to be there. He had a few (two?) outstanding seasons, but the overall career stats are not really that impressive. The article comparing him to Rizzuto, Maz, et al. seems reallly unconvincing, too. Those guys got into the Hall mostly for their defensive prowess, so to show that Maris' career _offensive_ stats are equivalent to theirs does more to hurt than help his case, IMO.

[David]

I'd say no. He never hit higher than .283 and only three times hit as many as 30 home runs (39, 61, and 33 in 1960, 61, and 62). Yes, he had very good years in 1960-61, and a decent year in 1962 (though a big dropoff from 1961). And he was a very solid defensive player. But overall, I would say that for most of his career he was not a truly feared hitter who would have been considered one of the very top of his profession.