1961 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR
"Voted most valuable American League player in 1960, his first season in New York. Maris hit .283 after getting off to a speedy start. He paced the loop in RBIs (112), was second in homers (39) and runs scored (98) and was flawless in right field, showing expert judgment as a ball hawk and displaying a powerful, accurate arm.
Born in Hibbing, Minnesota, Maris was tabbed for stardom as an Indian rookie in 1957. Traded to the A's in '58, he started to deliver as a hitter in '59 until an appendectomy put him out of action."
-Don Schiffer, The Major League Baseball Handbook 1961
1960
April 19: Obtained in winter trade with A's, hits two home runs with four RBIs in 8-4 win over Bosox.
April 24: Out with bruised shin for a few days.
April 30: Leads rout of Orioles with home run and two doubles.
May 4: Hits three doubles and single in win over Tigers.
May 6: Goes 3-for-3 against A's, batting .476.
May 21: Hits two home runs in 9-8 loss to Chisox.
May 25: Hits two home runs in 9-3 loss to Tigers.
June 5: Beats Red Sox with three-run homer.
June 11: Hits home run and double in win over Indians.
June 14: Five RBIs on home run, double and single in win over A's.
June 18: Home run and double in rout of Chisox.
June 22: Hits two-run homer (his 20th) in win over Tigers.
June 26: Four RBIs on two home runs, Indians win on his error.
June 29: Four RBIs on two home runs to lead rout of A's.
June 30: Hits two-run homer in rout of A's.
July 2: Named to American League All-Star team.
July 6: Hits two-run homer (his 27th) against Orioles.
July 19: Hits No. 30 in win over Indians.
August 5: Hits two-run homer in 4-3 win over A's.
August 6: Six RBIs on two home runs and single in rout of A's.
August 13: His double sets up 1-0 win over Nats.
August 14: Hurts ribs sliding against Nats; out two weeks.
September 8: Hits No. 36, first since August 6.
September 9: Connects again in 4-1 win over Tigers.
September 11: Hits home run and double in 5-0 win over Indians.
September 16: Beats Orioles, 4-2, with two-run homer.
September 25: Two RBIs on three singles in 4-3 win over Bosox.
Comment: Maris had a great season despite his late slump and appears headed for stardom. He lost the home run title to Mantle in the last week but held the RBI lead.
-Joe Sheehan, Dell Sports Magazine Baseball, April 1961
"In his first season as a Yankee, Roger Maris won the American League's coveted Most Valuable Player award. He was runner-up to teammate Mickey Mantle in homers (39), led the league in slugging percentage with .581, topped the loop in RBIs with 112.
After a full season as a Yankee star, Roger feels he is a full fledged Yankee and hopes that 1961 will see him off to another great start ... but he aims to avoid the mid-season letdown that has been his trademark the past few seasons. It was Maris' hot bat that kept the Yankees in the race a year ago until mid-season, but he slumped after mid-July.
At the age of 26 Maris looms as the Yankee right-fielder for a good many years. He does everything well ... hitting with power and frequency, running and fielding well above average. He would now like to spread these talents over a full season's play."
-The New York Yankees Official 1961 Yearbook
Roger Eugene Maris (OF) #9
Born September 10, 1934, in Hibbing, Minnesota, resides in Raytown, Missouri. Height: 6-0, weight: 200. Bats left, throws right.
Married and father of one girl, Susan Ann (3), and two boys, Roger Eugene Jr. (2) and Kevin (4 months).
-The New York Yankees Official 1961 Yearbook
"Roger Maris made the transition from K.C.A. to M.V.P. in one season and also lifted the Yankees back to the top of the American League standings.
The 26-year-old fly chaser topped the Junior Circuit in runs batted in, with 112, and finished second to Mickey Mantle in home runs, belting 39 to Mickey's 40.
Maris came to the Yankees from the Bronx in December 1959. The Yankees sent Don Larsen, Marv Throneberry, Norm Siebern and Hank Bauer to the Athletics for the six-foot, 197-pound slugger, Joe DeMaestri and Kent Hadley.
Roger was originally signed by the Cleveland organization. He batted .325 for Fargo-Moorhead in his first season in Organized Ball and recorded a .315 mark with Keokuk of the Three-Eye loop the following summer. The Indians brought the left-handed belter up to the AL after stops in Tulsa, Reading and Indianapolis.
As a Tribe rookie, Maris hit .235, rapped 14 circuit clouts and sent 51 runs across the plate. The Indians dealt him to Kansas City in June 1958 for Vic Power and Woodie Held.
The Hibbing, Minnesota, native upped his average to .240, doubled his home run output and was credited with 80 RBIs in his sophomore season. And, he was one of the most sought after players in the league.
Rog was hitting at a .300 plus clip in '59 when he was stricken with appendicitis. After 30 days on the disabled list he returned to action, but his mark slipped to .273 in his finale with the Athletics.
Yankee Stadium's short right field was an inviting target and Rog used it to advantage. In his first game with the Bombers, he cracked out four hits, including a pair of four-baggers.
A mid-season slump caused his average to dip under the .300 mark, but Maris ended his fourth major league campaign with a .283 average. His 98 runs scored were second in the league (to Mantle's 119).
The strong-armed gardner was chosen to the All-Star team last summer. His early-season batting, when he seemed well on his way toward the Triple Crown, kept the Yankees in contention. And, last fall, the Raytown, Missouri, resident was chosen the American League's Most Valuable Player, edging out teammate Mickey Mantle.
Maris hopes to reach the charmed .300 circle this summer and, of course, he's figuring on another World Series, this time with a winner's share, in October."
-New York Yankees 1961 Yearbook (Jay Publishing Co.)
The Yankees' Roger Maris:
"I doubt that anyone will ever break Babe Ruth's home run record. The figure has become so magical that a guy coming near would start to defeat himself. But even more important are the pitchers. When a hitter got close to the record, they would throw him nothing decent for the rest of the season."
Baseball Digest, May 1961
TIPS FROM ANOTHER SPALDING STAR ... ROGER MARIS!
"One of the big factors in the Yankee pennant victory last season was a fiercely competitive right fielder named Roger Maris. That season, his fifth in major league baseball, saw him play his way into the ranks of baseball's brightest stars and earned him the American League's Most Valuable Player award for 1960. Like so many top players, Maris has a few special tricks he's picked up over the years. Here's how he handles a fly ball from his right field slot:
'Naturally, my position depends on the batter- whether he's right of left-handed. The situation on the field, the batter, the wind- all are considerations to look out for. In any case, I always take a couple of steps backward while looking for the ball after it's hit.
As soon as I get a line on the ball, I'm ready to move. If I sense it's going to be a deep one, I don't have to retrace my steps, as I've already started moving back. If it looks short, I'm ready, too. Remember, it's much easier to go forward than turn late and try to go back.
Here's the trick, once you're under the ball. Get the proper angle with your body while making the catch to ensure getting the ball away fast. If you're balanced and turned slightly to cock your throwing arm while making the catch, the seconds saved can make a big difference.'
Roger Maris, like so many sports stars, is a user of Spalding equipment. And, as a member of Spalding's advisory staff, he helps the very best in baseball equipment including Spalding's Roger Maris gloves. See them at sporting goods stores everywhere.
Spalding sets the pace in sports."
Advertisement in Sport Magazine, June 1961
"In two years as a Yankee, Roger Maris has topped the league in RBIs, won the 1960 MVP award and this year became the greatest home run hitter in the game. Maris, 27-year-old slugger, had the baseball world agog with his terrific home run production in 1961 and won headlines across the nation as he challenged Babe Ruth's 34-year-old 60-homer record. With teammate Mickey Mantle, he formed the greatest 1-2 power punch in baseball history.
In 1960, the six-foot, 200-pound Maris was runner-up to teammate Mantle in home runs with 39 and led the American League in slugging percentage with .581, along with topping the runs-batted-in with 112.
Roger broke into pro ball with Fargo-Moorhead in 1953 and was with Cleveland in 1957. During the 1958 season he was traded to Kansas City and went with the Yankees in 1960. He has been in one World Series and two All-Star Games.
Roger and his wife live in Raytown, Missouri, with their three sons and daughter."
-1961 World Series Official Souvenir Program
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