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AJ McKenzie
  • 22 hours ago
Single season HR record holder for 37 years wth 61
Transcript
00:00Down goes Frasier! Down goes Frasier! Down goes Frasier!
00:08United to a big change. A big change for the men.
00:12The ball is going to win! The ball is going to win!
00:19That's a front post. They've won their sixth NBA championship.
00:24Gibson, swing. This is going to be an all-round. Unbelievable!
00:27Unbelievable! Don't believe what I just saw!
00:42Until Mark McGuire decisively broke his single-season home run record in 1998,
00:48Roger Maris' 61 had reigned supreme for 37 years,
00:53three years longer than Babe Ruth's tenure at the top.
00:55Yet, when compared to Ruth, and even McGuire,
00:59Maris seems to pale in our national memory.
01:02Not so much because he died too young of cancer, Ruth did the same,
01:06but because of the sheer sacrilege of his act.
01:09In one season, he broke into the palace and stole the king's crown.
01:13And for that, he would incur more anguish than joy, more abuse than glory.
01:18For Maris, the American dream of fame and success turned into a nightmare.
01:23Shame.
01:24In the world of sports records, the number 60 probably represented
01:30the sexiest record in all professional sports.
01:34There's one!
01:36It is going in!
01:37It's the right field, and it is gone!
01:39Number 65!
01:42In 1961, Ruth was still God as far as home runs were concerned.
01:45I mean, 60 was this magic number that had been there forever.
01:48In comes the pitch, there goes the drive deep in the right field,
01:52and it is going, going, it is on into the picture.
01:55Number 56!
01:57He was chasing this great icon, Babe Ruth,
02:00somebody that every kid, every adult in America identified with
02:05as the greatest sports figure, and the greatest sort of social figure.
02:09There's a drive to the deep right, and here's number 57,
02:14off the top of the upper deck!
02:17I remember one man in particular who was the father of a New York sports writer
02:21who idolized Babe Ruth, and every time I wrote a good story about Roger Maris,
02:26he would send me a letter telling me,
02:27how can you compare this man with Babe Ruth?
02:30When you hit a ball here,
02:32you know it's going to be a home run the minute you hit it.
02:37There's a drive!
02:39That might carry all the way,
02:40Ruth is back!
02:42And it's number 58!
02:44For Roger Maris,
02:45his 58th home run of the year!
02:48A little pressure in the world,
02:56because people just could not identify him
02:58at breaking Babe Ruth's record.
03:01Among those unable to accept Maris
03:04as a legitimate challenger of Ruth
03:06was baseball commissioner Ford Frick.
03:09He had been Babe Ruth's biographer,
03:11so suddenly in 1961,
03:13the first expansion season,
03:15Maris was proving to be way ahead of Ruth
03:18and looked like he was going to break the record.
03:20Frick decided that he would make a ruling.
03:23He said,
03:24he'll have to break it in 154 games
03:26if he's going to break the record.
03:27Dick Young,
03:28the New York Daily News columnist,
03:30was right there and he said,
03:31well, you can always put an asterisk next to it
03:33if he did it in 162 games.
03:35A lot of people thought that Frick went over the line
03:38in trying to protect Babe Ruth's record
03:41because of Frick's past association with Ruth.
03:44People felt that it would be bad for baseball
03:48if Babe Ruth weren't the all-time hero.
03:51There was a certain religiosity about Babe Ruth.
03:55Racing against Frick's deadline,
03:57Maris began to show signs of strain.
04:00About the last week and a half
04:02or two weeks of the season,
04:04you could see it building in Roger himself.
04:07The pressure was on him all the time,
04:09and Maris couldn't handle it.
04:10Maris just wanted to play ball and be left alone.
04:12I think the pressure was simply enormous.
04:14Just to be able to go up to the plate
04:16and perform knowing that you were doing something
04:19that was historic.
04:21With all of its difficult psychological impact on Maris,
04:25he began to lose chunks of hair.
04:27Holy cow, he'd lock her next to me.
04:29I said, hey, what do you got, ringworm?
04:31What? Is it catchy?
04:33No, I ain't got a ringworm.
04:34He said, it's nerves.
04:36I said, yeah?
04:37Yeah, I've never seen anything like that for nerves.
04:40On September 20th in Baltimore,
04:42the Yankees played their 154th game.
04:45Maris, needing two homers to tie Ruth,
04:48stood alone in the eye of a media maelstrom.
04:50He didn't get it.
04:52Pressure on Roger before the game
04:54with everybody there
04:55and everybody talking only about
04:57can he hit two home runs today
04:59was absolutely enormous.
05:00In the clubhouse, we're walking almost on tiptoes.
05:03Nobody went near Roger.
05:05He just sat there.
05:06Nobody seemed to want to talk.
05:07It was an eerie, unnatural situation.
05:10And he went to Ralph Haag
05:11and suggested it would be better
05:12if he didn't play that particular night.
05:14Skip, he said,
05:15I just don't think I can get out there tonight.
05:17And I said, Roger, I understand.
05:21And I sprang to him about going out
05:22to play Ralph Field for one inning
05:24and come in and I'd get him out of there.
05:26But when he came in,
05:27he didn't say nothing to me.
05:28He went back out the next inning,
05:29so I didn't say anything more.
05:31I imagine after all this is over,
05:33somebody may write a story
05:34about the month-long,
05:36day in, day out,
05:37excruciating pressure.
05:39First time up,
05:41he hit a long fly ball
05:42to right field
05:43that was well hit
05:45but clearly not going to be a home run
05:47and it was caught.
05:48The next time up,
05:49he got under the pitch.
05:52There's one.
05:52It is going.
05:53It is going.
05:55It is gone.
05:56Number 59.
05:59And the crowd
06:03was cheering for Roger.
06:06One swing away from Babe Ruth
06:08and his own emotional deliverance,
06:11the man who would be king
06:12stepped into the batter's box
06:14in the ninth.
06:15The Orioles brought in
06:16the relief pitcher,
06:17knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm
06:19to face Maris
06:20in his final at-bat.
06:21Did he actually tie it?
06:23Roger tried to check his swing
06:26and when that happened,
06:27you could see the air go out of him.
06:30There was this feeling
06:31of glad that it was over
06:34and disappointed
06:36that he didn't do it.
06:4054 decisions
06:41with 59 home runs
06:43but as far as Frick was concerned,
06:46that race was now over.
06:49Third inning.
06:49Two outs.
06:50Nobody on.
06:52There he is.
06:54If it stays there,
06:56there he is.
06:57Number 60.
07:00How about that?
07:01They're standing ovation.
07:02In the 158th game,
07:05Maris had pulled even with Ruth.
07:08Now he stood
07:09at the brink of history,
07:10uneasy,
07:11exhausted,
07:12and reluctant.
07:13We came to the ballpark
07:14and Roger Maris' name
07:16wasn't in the lineup
07:16and we couldn't believe it.
07:18He still has a chance
07:19to break the record.
07:21He had just asked
07:22Ralkoff
07:22if he could have a day off
07:24and I think everybody
07:26was shocked
07:27because he only had
07:28four days to break the record.
07:29I remember wondering
07:30at the time,
07:31how can you do this?
07:32because we were all
07:34pulling for him
07:34so much
07:35to break the record.
07:37Maybe he was right
07:38in taking the day off,
07:39but I thought he was
07:39foolish.
07:42On October 1st,
07:44some 2,000 of the faithful
07:45showed up at Yankee Stadium
07:46and when Merritt Wright
07:48filled in the first inning,
07:49many gathered
07:50in the stands behind him
07:51where so many of his homers
07:52had landed.
07:53The rest of America
07:54kept its distance.
07:56There wasn't a whole lot
07:58of public attention
08:00paid to this.
08:01The fans didn't care.
08:03The press was a little
08:04down about it.
08:05Fort Frick had destroyed
08:07the drama of the event.
08:09The game didn't mean anything.
08:11There were the anti-Marist fans,
08:13the Ruth fans,
08:14they certainly weren't
08:14going to come out
08:15and see it.
08:16Here's the windup.
08:17Fastball hit,
08:18hit!
08:1961.
08:20When he hit it,
08:27goose pimples came
08:27and he was so bad
08:28with a batter.
08:29It was no different
08:31then than the first
08:31home run he hit.
08:35He came right
08:35into the dugout,
08:36didn't acknowledge
08:37the fans in any way.
08:38and we as a team
08:42had to actually
08:42push him out
08:43and all he did
08:44was just take
08:44his camp out.
08:48Here's a guy
08:49who broke one of the
08:50most hallowed records
08:51in all of baseball
08:52and he had to be
08:53pushed to the top
08:55step of the dugout
08:56and even then
08:56he just waved his cap
08:58quickly from side to side
08:59and ducked back down.
09:00It summarizes Maris
09:02and it also summarizes
09:04that period in baseball.
09:06I mean other players
09:06might acknowledge
09:07the fans, cheers,
09:09but he was not
09:10that self-centered.
09:11As long as his teammates
09:12appreciated it,
09:13that was enough for him.
09:14When did the pressure
09:15start building up
09:15on you, Roger?
09:16I don't think it was
09:17so much the pressure
09:18of playing the game
09:19of baseball
09:19but answering the
09:20questions of the press
09:22day after day
09:23and come out of the field
09:24and all your time
09:25before the ballgame
09:26is spent with the
09:27photographers
09:27and after the ballgame
09:29with the writers
09:29and before the game
09:31it's writers.
09:32He did it.
09:33It's one of the most
09:33amazing achievements
09:34in sports
09:35because he was
09:35temperamentally
09:36the man least suited
09:37to do this.
09:41If anyone had to
09:42break that record
09:43I'm glad it was
09:44someone else
09:44who was left-handed.
09:46I think that Roger
09:47wasn't cut out
09:48to be a home-run king.
09:49He was not sophisticated
09:51as far as the media
09:52was concerned
09:53and here he is
09:54suddenly in New York City
09:55and everybody wants
09:57to interview him
09:57and talk to him
09:58and I think it was
10:00a tough thing
10:00for a kid
10:01from a small town.
10:04Roger Maris
10:05was born on
10:06September 10th
10:071934
10:08in Hibbing, Minnesota.
10:10His family moved
10:10to North Dakota
10:11when he was 8
10:12eventually settling
10:13in Fargo.
10:15With his older brother
10:15Rudy
10:16he gained local fame
10:17as an athlete
10:18of rare promise.
10:20They could do it all.
10:21They could hit the ball
10:22tremendously well.
10:24They could throw
10:25great speed
10:26for base running
10:26and very good fielders.
10:29They had the complete
10:29baseball package.
10:32When Rudy was
10:33stricken with polio
10:34while in college
10:35the family rested
10:36its hopes
10:36for athletic success
10:37on Roger.
10:39Yeah.
10:40Well he ran track,
10:41he played basketball,
10:42he played football
10:43and baseball
10:43so pretty much
10:44every season
10:45he was busy with that.
10:48He was the star
10:49of the team,
10:50he was the star
10:50of the state
10:51and probably the star
10:52of the whole area.
10:53He had to choose
10:54at one point
10:55between football
10:56and baseball
10:57and he was offered
10:58an athletic scholarship
10:59at Oklahoma
11:00then run by
11:01Bud Wilkinson
11:02and I said
11:02when did you decide
11:03not to go to Oklahoma?
11:05He said
11:05halfway through
11:06the entrance exam.
11:08Roger told me once
11:08you know
11:09college just wasn't his
11:10cup of tea.
11:13In 1953
11:14the 18 year old
11:16Maris signed
11:16with the Indians.
11:18Four years later
11:19he was called up
11:20to the majors.
11:21What should have been
11:22an exciting time
11:23turned sour.
11:25He had a bruised heel
11:26and it just wasn't healing
11:27and of course
11:28that didn't show up
11:29in x-rays or anything
11:30and so we had a hard time
11:31telling them
11:32that he couldn't run.
11:33Things just didn't go
11:34the way that
11:34he had hoped they would
11:36and then of course
11:38when they wanted
11:38to send him
11:39to play winter ball
11:40that didn't go over at all.
11:43Maris' refusal
11:44to play winter ball
11:45provoked Cleveland
11:46general manager
11:47Frank Lane
11:48to trade him
11:48to the athletics.
11:49That June
11:50Maris arrived
11:51in Kansas City
11:52with a dubious reputation.
11:55Harry Kraft
11:56was the manager
11:56at Kansas City
11:57and I'd played for Harry
11:58in the minor leagues
11:59and he said
12:01Bob
12:01I'm going to have
12:02Roger room with you
12:03on this trip
12:03and he said
12:04find out what the hell
12:04makes him tick.
12:06Come about an hour later
12:07here come Rod
12:07and he's
12:08what the hell are you doing
12:09I'll come on room
12:10with you
12:10and I said
12:11Roger I'm going to
12:12tell you the truth
12:13and the minor said
12:13he wants to find out
12:14what makes you tick.
12:15He said
12:15I like guys
12:16that tell me the truth
12:17and after that
12:18we were great friends.
12:19Huh
12:19Over the next season
12:21and a half
12:22Maris developed
12:23a big league power stroke
12:25hitting 35 homers.
12:27Roger Maris
12:28had probably
12:28in fact a farm system
12:41for the Yankees.
12:44They went to a ball club
12:46that was down
12:46in the standings
12:47and offered them
12:47two or three ball players
12:48for one of their
12:49premier plays.
12:49Kansas City
12:51was very much
12:52in fact
12:54a farm system
12:55for the Yankees.
12:56They would raise players
12:57there
12:57and trade them
12:58to the Yankees.
12:59And I heard
13:00the fact that he was
13:01a hitter
13:02who was made
13:03for Yankee Stadium
13:04so I think
13:05they were willing
13:06to give up
13:07some minor league talent
13:08for him.
13:10Leaving his pregnant wife
13:12Pat
13:12and their three kids
13:13in Kansas City
13:14Maris landed
13:15in New York
13:16in 1960
13:17with full powers
13:18of assertion.
13:20Roger got off
13:21the plane
13:22from Kansas City
13:23wearing white buck shoes
13:24in January
13:26and Big Julie Isaacson
13:28a union man
13:29who had made himself
13:30very close to the Yankees
13:31said we don't wear
13:32white bucks
13:33in New York
13:33in the winter time
13:34and he took Roger
13:35to his hotel
13:36which was somewhere
13:37in Midtown
13:38and Roger
13:39immediately went out
13:40and bought another
13:41pair of white buck shoes.
13:43He was going to be
13:44Roger Maris
13:44no matter what.
13:45Maris carved his initials
13:48on the Yankee tree
13:49by winning
13:49the 1960 MVP
13:51with 39 homers
13:52and 112 RBIs.
13:55By May of the next season
13:56Maris and Mickey Mandel
13:58were launching
13:59the hottest
13:59home run contest
14:00in more than
14:01three decades.
14:02The M&M boys
14:03he's got 25
14:05he's got 24
14:06he's got 31
14:06he's got 30
14:07I'll never forget
14:08that summer
14:08because it gripped you
14:10from opening day on.
14:11Both love to hit
14:12both love to run
14:13both love to throw
14:15and both love to win
14:16so you know
14:17that made it
14:18a terrific race.
14:19By mid-July
14:20the M&M boys
14:21had commandeered
14:22the headlines.
14:24In his 11th season
14:25in New York
14:25Mantel was accustomed
14:27to the attention
14:27but second year man
14:29Maris
14:30he whistled at it.
14:32It was pretty much
14:33of a ritual
14:34that the game was over
14:35and you'd go to
14:35Mantel's locker
14:36and you'd go to
14:37Maris' locker
14:39and get their thoughts
14:40on how they performed
14:42that particular day.
14:43I like Roger
14:44because he told you
14:45what he felt.
14:47If he didn't want
14:48to answer questions
14:49if he was unhappy
14:51if he was feeling
14:52red ass
14:53to use the expression
14:54that was common
14:55in the day
14:55he lets you know.
14:57Mickey on the other hand
14:57would just say
14:58what he thought
14:59you expected him
15:00to say.
15:01There's a photograph
15:02of Maris
15:03surrounded by reporters
15:04and microphones
15:05and everything else
15:06and you're looking
15:06down at him
15:07he's sort of looking up
15:07and he looks trapped
15:09like an animal
15:10that's caught
15:11and would like
15:11to get out of here.
15:12He was never comfortable
15:14sitting around
15:15talking with the press
15:16as Babe Ruth was
15:18as Mickey
15:18later became.
15:20He was a loner
15:21he liked to be by himself
15:22he wasn't a
15:24party guy.
15:26A lot of the reporters
15:27you really had to
15:28butter up a little bit
15:29to him
15:29and he just
15:30wasn't that type
15:31you either
15:31took him straight forward
15:32or that's the way it goes.
15:34As Maris and Mantel
15:36crept closer
15:36to Ruth's record
15:37many reporters
15:39stirred the pot
15:40by implying
15:40they didn't like
15:41each other
15:42but in fact
15:43the two sluggers
15:44shared an apartment
15:45with teammate
15:45Bob Serve.
15:46We really laughed
15:47when they were saying
15:48Mantel and Maris
15:49are feuding.
15:50They were rivals
15:51in a sense
15:51they both wanted
15:52to do well
15:52but they were team players
15:54so it would be
15:54out of character
15:55for Mickey
15:55to resent Maris
15:57if he thought Maris
15:58would help the Yankees
15:59win.
15:59I think they were
16:00competitive
16:00they respected
16:02each other professionally
16:03they admired
16:04what each one
16:05could do
16:06on the ball field
16:07but I always felt
16:09they were not
16:09two guys
16:10who if they didn't
16:11play baseball
16:12would be best friends.
16:14When Maris stood
16:15at 51
16:15to Mantel's 48
16:17at the end of August
16:18support for the Mick
16:20built like a wave
16:21across the Bronx.
16:22fans have been led
16:24to believe
16:24if anyone is ever
16:26going to challenge
16:26Ruth's record
16:27it'll be number seven.
16:30Well along comes
16:30this fellow Maris
16:31having played
16:33in Cleveland
16:33and Kansas City
16:34before that
16:35and Maris
16:36suddenly is running
16:37neck and neck
16:38with Mickey.
16:38When the fans
16:39had to choose
16:40which of the M&M boys
16:41do you want
16:42to break the Babes record
16:43the fans
16:44overwhelmingly chose
16:45Mantel.
16:46People actually
16:47you know
16:48weren't happy
16:49with Maris
16:49suddenly it was like
16:50oh he's a 260 hitter.
16:52They overlooked the fact
16:52he was maybe
16:53the best defensive
16:54red fielder in baseball.
16:55I hated Maris.
16:56I loved Mantel.
16:58Mantel was absolutely
16:59seen as a demigod.
17:00Whatever Michael Jordan
17:01and Tiger Woods are now
17:02I assure you
17:03Mickey Mantel
17:04was that then.
17:05If anybody broke
17:06the record
17:06the fans wanted
17:07Mantel to break it.
17:08I think even some
17:08of the Yankees
17:09wanted Mantel to break it.
17:10We were all sure
17:10for Mickey to break
17:12the record
17:13more than Roger.
17:14Mickey had the reputation
17:15of power
17:16and home runs.
17:17Roger didn't have
17:18the reputation
17:19when he was
17:19with Kansas City
17:20or Cleveland.
17:21In the second week
17:22of September
17:23the home run race
17:24took a dramatic turn
17:25when an infection
17:26in Mantel's hip
17:27forced him to drop out.
17:29Although he returned
17:30briefly to finish
17:31with 54 homers
17:32Maris now had to go
17:34the last mile
17:35on his own.
17:36You had to write
17:37about him every day.
17:38I mean that was
17:39what was going on.
17:40The Yankees
17:40were in a very tough
17:41pennant race that year
17:42which seems to be
17:43forgotten in history.
17:44Whitey Ford was having
17:45a great season.
17:46The rest of the Yankee
17:47team was having
17:48a great season.
17:49but it was Roger
17:50that people cared
17:52about it.
17:53What about the way
17:53you hold the bat?
17:55Have you been holding
17:56it the same way
17:56all your baseball career?
17:58Somebody said to him
17:59on a curve
18:00he'd hit for a home run
18:01thrown by a right-handed pitcher.
18:03He said,
18:03did that ball
18:04break in on you?
18:05I said,
18:05well since he was
18:05a right-handed pitcher
18:06throwing a curve
18:07I would say
18:08the answer is
18:09yes.
18:09This one young writer
18:10from some out-of-town
18:11paper said to him
18:12would you rather
18:13hit 300
18:13or a great-great
18:15boot circuit?
18:16And the kid said to him
18:17well I'd rather
18:17hit 300.
18:18He said,
18:18well that's what
18:19you want to do.
18:20He said,
18:20I'd rather hit more
18:20home runs.
18:21Some people regarded
18:22as a surly answer
18:23but he was being
18:24honest with them.
18:25Somebody said
18:25do you play around
18:27on the road?
18:27And Maris said
18:28I'm a married man
18:29and a reporter
18:29said,
18:30well I'm a married man
18:31and I play around
18:32on the road.
18:33And Maris looked at him
18:34cold look
18:35and he said
18:35well that's your business.
18:3660, 70, 80 people
18:38asking the same
18:39stupid question
18:40day after day.
18:41Are you going to
18:41hit a home run
18:42tomorrow?
18:44Please.
18:45It's not that easy.
18:46Baseball at that point
18:47didn't know how to
18:48ration access to the press
18:49and protect its players.
18:50Bob Fisher was
18:51the Yankees publicity man
18:52and after the thing
18:54These are some of the
18:54most ridiculous questions
18:56of all time
18:57and 65 years later
19:00the media hasn't
19:01gotten any smarter.
19:02It was all over.
19:04He regretted that
19:04he did not protect
19:06He used the word
19:06protect Maris more.
19:09The relentless
19:09drop-by-drop
19:10water torture
19:11of daily coverage
19:12was made even
19:13more invasive
19:14by a new direction
19:16being taken
19:16by many of the
19:17younger reporters.
19:19Suddenly
19:19in the early 1960s
19:22the television camera
19:23was really
19:24in the player's face
19:25and people got
19:26to know
19:27the players
19:28rather intimately
19:29through their
19:30television set.
19:31Television
19:31resulted in
19:33reporters
19:33looking for more
19:34angles.
19:35Reporters were not
19:36satisfied to just
19:37write a game story.
19:381960-61
19:40was a transition
19:41time in
19:42the older
19:45established writers
19:46who essentially
19:48worshipped at the
19:49shrine of the Yankees
19:50and the younger
19:51writers were identified
19:52as chipmunks
19:53because we looked
19:55for other kinds
19:57of stuff.
19:58The chipmunks
19:58were a sort of
19:59social surfacing
20:01in sports writing
20:02of a new
20:03more iconoclastic
20:04generation.
20:05They were young
20:06irreverent
20:07sports writers.
20:10The box score
20:10was not
20:11what we were
20:12looking for.
20:13We wanted
20:13some kind of
20:14insight into
20:14who people were
20:16and why they did
20:17what they did.
20:18I always felt
20:19I could get
20:19into the player's
20:21life,
20:21his family,
20:22his head,
20:23his motivation
20:25and get to know
20:26him.
20:27Caught between
20:28the warring forces
20:29of old and new,
20:30Maris struggled
20:31emotionally
20:32in the eye of
20:33history.
20:34Reporters from
20:34all over the
20:35country,
20:36reporters from
20:36Japan,
20:37reporters from
20:38Australia,
20:38reporters from
20:39England gathered.
20:40The afternoon
20:41papers who would
20:42tend to leave
20:43details to
20:44morning paper
20:45stories,
20:45they were looking
20:46for afternoon
20:47angles and the
20:48angle every day
20:49was Roger Maris.
20:50Maris was a
20:51private man who
20:52hated being the
20:53center of a circus
20:54but did not have
20:55the choice of
20:55telling everybody
20:56to back off.
20:58Under the daily
20:58media assault,
21:00Maris grew from
21:01impatient to
21:02rebellious.
21:04On September
21:0415th in Detroit,
21:06he refused to
21:07meet with reporters.
21:08Roger's brother
21:09Rudy came to
21:10visit and after
21:11the game it was
21:12our responsibility
21:14to talk to
21:15Roger as we
21:15had to every
21:17day whether he
21:17hit a home run
21:18or struck out
21:18three times.
21:19In those days
21:20we could protect
21:21the players by
21:22letting them go
21:22into the training
21:23room.
21:24And Roger
21:24secluded himself
21:25with his brother
21:26in the trainer's
21:27room that was
21:28off limits to
21:28the press.
21:29But in Detroit
21:30because the
21:30trainer's room
21:31was right in
21:31the middle of
21:32the main
21:33clubhouse,
21:33we attempted
21:34to talk to
21:35him and he
21:35refused to
21:36talk to us.
21:36So we went
21:37over to
21:37Ralph Hauck
21:38and asked
21:38him to
21:39intercede.
21:39He wasn't
21:40going to try
21:40and force
21:41Roger out.
21:41He knew
21:41that Roger
21:42had cooperated
21:43every other
21:44day.
21:44So Ralph
21:44got upset
21:46with us and
21:46he hit the
21:48ceiling and
21:48said,
21:48what do you
21:49mean to tell
21:49me?
21:49You think I
21:49can't have
21:50time with
21:50his brother?
21:51His brother
21:51came to
21:52visit him.
21:52Leave him
21:52alone.
21:53You guys
21:53are bothering
21:53him too
21:54much.
21:55Roger didn't
21:55understand what
21:56he should have
21:57done.
21:57His brother
21:57was going to
21:58be there all
21:58night.
21:59He should
21:59have dealt
22:00with the
22:00obligation.
22:01They'd have
22:01waited a little
22:02bit.
22:03But then those
22:04kind of things
22:05happened in
22:05baseball and
22:06they made a
22:07big deal out
22:07of it.
22:08After hitting
22:09his 57th home
22:10run the next
22:11night, Maris
22:11projected an icy
22:13attitude.
22:14Maris hit a
22:15home run into
22:16the upper deck
22:17in Tiger Stadium.
22:18The ball bounced
22:19off the upper
22:20deck back onto
22:21the field.
22:22Al Kaline, the
22:23right fielder for
22:24Detroit, made a
22:25point of retrieving
22:26the ball and
22:26tossing it to the
22:27Yankee dugout.
22:28When he was
22:28asked by a
22:29Detroit writer if
22:30this was a
22:31gracious gesture,
22:32Roger said anyone
22:33would have done
22:34that.
22:35And it was taken
22:36to be a knock
22:37at Kaline.
22:38No big deal.
22:39Anyone would
22:39have done it.
22:40As I was
22:40listening, I was
22:41saying to myself,
22:41Roger, say that
22:43it was a nice
22:44thing to do.
22:44But that was
22:45Roger.
22:45When Maris
22:46finally broke
22:47Ruth's record,
22:48many of his
22:49detractors gave
22:50more credit to
22:50circumstance than
22:52skill.
22:531961 was the
22:55first year that
22:56they had broken
22:56from 16 teams
22:58that had stood
22:58since the
22:59beginning of the
22:59century.
23:00The schedule
23:00itself was
23:01expanded from
23:02154 games to
23:03162.
23:04In addition,
23:05the number of
23:05pitching jobs
23:06was expanded.
23:07Expansion brought
23:08into the league
23:09two new parks,
23:10which were both
23:11great home run
23:11parks.
23:12The two new
23:13ballparks, the
23:14one in Minnesota
23:15and the one in
23:17Los Angeles, were
23:18both fairly good
23:19hitter's ballparks.
23:20However, Maris hit
23:22only three home runs
23:23combined in those
23:24two parks.
23:25For the most part,
23:26Maris hit home runs
23:27off pitchers who had
23:28been in the league
23:29before.
23:30Maris benefited,
23:31without a doubt,
23:32by having the most
23:33feared hitter in
23:34baseball hit behind
23:35him, Mickey Mantle.
23:37He hit 54 of his
23:38home runs with
23:40Mantle behind him.
23:41Even after the
23:431961 season, Maris
23:45could not escape
23:46the shadow of
23:47Babe Ruth.
23:48The following
23:49winter, when the
23:49Elias Little Red
23:50Booker baseball,
23:51which was the
23:52official record
23:53book, came out,
23:54there was no
23:55asterisk.
23:55They had two lines
23:56on the most
23:57home runs in one
23:58season.
23:59154 games,
24:00Babe Ruth,
24:01162 games,
24:03Roger Maris.
24:04Although the
24:05debate would linger
24:06for decades,
24:07Maris received some
24:08measure of acceptance
24:09in the moneyed
24:10halls of
24:11Madison Avenue
24:12and Hollywood.
24:13A new Major
24:14League record,
24:1561 home runs
24:16by Roger Maris.
24:18Finally.
24:18That sure was
24:19a day for me,
24:20part of the thrill
24:21of baseball,
24:22the kind of real
24:23excitement I've
24:24put into my
24:24great new game
24:25by Pressman,
24:26action baseball.
24:27It's all in a
24:28day's work for
24:29the New York
24:29Yankees.
24:30Never mind,
24:31he's a terrible
24:32commercial.
24:34Terrible.
24:35The home run
24:36twins, starring
24:37in their exciting
24:38new movie,
24:39Safe, Bad
24:39Home.
24:40He wanted
24:40to succeed
24:41and he wanted
24:41to hit
24:42home runs.
24:42That's what
24:43he did,
24:44but not for
24:44the reasons
24:45of, wow,
24:46if I break
24:46this record,
24:47I'm going to
24:47be as big
24:48as Babe Ruth
24:48and I'm going
24:49to make
24:49millions of
24:50dollars.
24:50I don't
24:50believe Roger
24:51had a thought
24:52like that
24:52at all.
24:551962,
24:56when Luster
24:57was already
24:57beginning to
24:58fade from
24:58his momentous
24:59deed,
25:00Maris faced
25:01another,
25:01more entrenched
25:02army of
25:02detractors,
25:03and the war
25:04escalated.
25:05Len Schecter,
25:06who covered
25:06the Angus
25:07Post,
25:07wrote a
25:08quickie
25:09biography
25:10of Maris
25:11for which
25:12he got
25:12the munificent
25:13sum of
25:14a thousand
25:14dollars.
25:15And Maris
25:16was angered.
25:17He thought
25:18that Schecter
25:19had made a
25:19fortune off
25:20him.
25:20So he came
25:21in angry.
25:22The old-timers,
25:23and I believe
25:24led by Rogers
25:25Hornsby,
25:26were harping
25:27on this idea
25:28that Roger
25:29Maris isn't
25:30worthy of
25:30breaking Babe Ruth's
25:31record.
25:32And Rogers
25:33Hornsby said
25:34something about
25:35Roger Maris
25:36being a busher
25:37because he only
25:37hit 260,
25:39you know,
25:39even though he
25:40had all those
25:40home runs.
25:41The Mets were
25:42playing the Yankees
25:43in that spring
25:43training,
25:44and some
25:44enterprising
25:45photographer
25:45wanted to
25:46get a picture
25:47of the two
25:47of them posing
25:48together.
25:49Maris refused,
25:51and that set
25:52off another
25:53firestorm.
25:54Who was he
25:55to refuse to
25:56have his picture
25:56taken with
25:57this Hall of
25:58Famer?
25:58Roger was a
25:59charming churl.
26:00He was no
26:01caterer to
26:02the stars
26:03of the
26:03newspaper industry,
26:04and New York
26:05had plenty
26:05of them.
26:06Jimmy Cannon
26:06and Oscar
26:07Frehley were
26:07older sports
26:08writers.
26:09They had
26:09covered Babe
26:10Ruth,
26:10they had
26:11been around
26:11in the
26:11old days.
26:13These guys
26:13were sitting
26:14in the
26:14dugout
26:14waiting for
26:15me,
26:15and Roger
26:15was in
26:16no hurry
26:16to go
26:16over there.
26:17He made
26:17them wait,
26:18and he
26:18didn't do
26:19that to
26:19Jimmy Cannon
26:20and Oscar
26:20Frehley.
26:21Their egos
26:21were damaged,
26:22and they
26:23wrote some
26:23very,
26:24very cruel
26:25things about
26:26how the
26:26record didn't
26:27mean anything,
26:28and the
26:28negative
26:28publicity
26:29really became
26:31overwhelming.
26:32Under such
26:33unfriendly
26:33scrutiny,
26:34Maris made
26:35a tactical
26:36error that
26:36cost him
26:37what little
26:38respect he
26:38still had
26:39among the
26:39press.
26:40He was
26:40fooling with
26:41a kid,
26:41and the
26:41kid came
26:41up to
26:42Matt a
26:42banquet
26:42and said,
26:43Mr. Maris,
26:44can I have
26:44your autograph?
26:45And Roger
26:45said,
26:46watch this,
26:46and he
26:46winked at
26:47Mandel,
26:48and instead
26:48of signing
26:49his name,
26:49he put an
26:50X on the
26:50ball.
26:51Well,
26:51the little
26:51kid didn't
26:52bother to
26:52stop and
26:53look at
26:53the ball.
26:54He grabbed
26:54it after
26:55Maris put
26:55the X on
26:56it and ran
26:57out.
26:57He said,
26:57oh,
26:58can you
26:58imagine,
26:58the kid
26:59didn't
26:59notice that
27:00I wrote
27:00an X.
27:00His father
27:01made a
27:01big thing
27:02about it.
27:02Can you
27:02imagine this
27:03guy doing
27:04this to
27:04a little
27:04kid?
27:05And writers
27:06heard about
27:07that across
27:08the country
27:08and began
27:09to write
27:09about how
27:10big-headed
27:11he became.
27:12And that
27:12really turned
27:13Maris against
27:14the press
27:14more than
27:14any other
27:15single thing.
27:16He decided
27:17that he
27:17wasn't going
27:17to talk
27:18to the
27:18press
27:18that
27:19spring.
27:21Maris
27:21never again
27:22hit more
27:22than 33
27:23homers in
27:24a season.
27:25But he
27:25helped the
27:25Yankees win
27:26three more
27:27pennants
27:27in the
27:271962
27:28World Series.
27:30The Yankees
27:30took a
27:311-0 lead
27:32into the
27:32bottom of
27:32the ninth
27:33inning of
27:33the seventh
27:33game of
27:34the 1962
27:35World Series
27:36with a
27:36man on
27:37first and
27:38two men
27:38out.
27:39Willie
27:40Mays
27:40rockets a
27:41line drive
27:41into the
27:42right field
27:42corner at
27:43Candlestick Park.
27:44And Roger
27:44cut the ball
27:45and Mays
27:45hit and
27:46made that
27:47perfect relay
27:48throw to
27:48Bobby
27:49Richardson.
27:49And
27:49Whitey
27:50Lockman,
27:50third base
27:51coach,
27:51held a
27:52little at
27:52third base.
27:53Willie
27:53McCovey
27:54lined out
27:54for the
27:55final out
27:55the next
27:56batter,
27:56Yankees
27:56won the
27:57World Series.
27:58In 1965,
28:00a mysterious
28:01injury to
28:02his hand
28:02led to
28:03still another
28:03extended
28:04bout of
28:05distrust.
28:05It didn't
28:06heal and
28:07they did
28:07x-ray
28:07after x-ray
28:08and couldn't
28:10find anything
28:10wrong and
28:11there was a
28:11lot of
28:11suspicion that
28:12Roger was
28:13malingering.
28:14He was
28:14injured and
28:15they didn't
28:15believe that
28:16he was
28:16injured.
28:16They put
28:17out stories
28:18he was
28:18faking his
28:19injury.
28:19And
28:20there were
28:20some in
28:20the
28:20organization
28:21that
28:21felt he
28:21was
28:22jaking a
28:22little bit,
28:23jaking to
28:23the extent
28:23that he
28:24wasn't injured
28:24but didn't
28:25want to
28:25play as
28:25much.
28:26He had
28:26been sent
28:27to the
28:27hospital
28:27and there
28:29was never
28:30any, to
28:31my knowledge,
28:32a thing
28:33there that
28:33was broken.
28:34They just
28:35kept saying
28:35he'll be
28:36alright,
28:37you're just
28:37bruised a
28:38little bit.
28:38He could
28:38never
28:38straighten
28:39his fingers
28:39out,
28:40he lost
28:40all that
28:41muscle.
28:42They didn't
28:42take very
28:43good care
28:43of us
28:44in those
28:44days.
28:45When we
28:45were injured
28:45we had
28:46to go out
28:46and play
28:46anyway.
28:47They didn't
28:47have a big
28:48investment
28:48in us.
28:49We were
28:49like farm
28:49animals
28:50compared to
28:50today's
28:51players who
28:51are treated
28:52like
28:52thoroughbreds.
28:53Finally at
28:54the end
28:54of the
28:54season they
28:55said well
28:55we gotta
28:56level with
28:56you here
28:57hand.
28:57It was a
28:58mystery to
28:58me once
28:58it came
28:59out that
29:00he had
29:00a broken
29:00bone.
29:01Subsequently
29:01it was
29:02found out
29:02that the
29:02hand was
29:03damaged but
29:04by that
29:05time the
29:05crowds had
29:06really turned
29:06on Maris.
29:07By the
29:08end of the
29:081966 season
29:10a media
29:11battered Maris
29:12was on his
29:12last New
29:13York legs.
29:14I stayed
29:15with Roger
29:15the last
29:16month of
29:16the season
29:16and really
29:17felt sorry
29:17for him
29:18because he
29:19really had
29:19lost a
29:20lot of
29:20the desire
29:20that he
29:21had to
29:22excel in
29:22New
29:23York.
29:24Told the
29:24Yankees he
29:25was retiring
29:25and then
29:26they went
29:27ahead and
29:29traded him
29:29to St.
29:30Louis and
29:31we didn't
29:32have a clue
29:33about that
29:33and we
29:33came home
29:34reporters were
29:34standing on
29:35the doorstep
29:36so then he
29:36didn't know
29:36what to do
29:37because he
29:37said well
29:38if I quit
29:38now they're
29:39going to
29:39think well
29:40I didn't
29:40want to
29:40go there
29:41or play
29:42ball.
29:42I was
29:42just having
29:43a problem
29:43with the
29:44Yankees so
29:44he decided
29:45he'd go
29:45ahead and
29:45play for
29:46one year.
29:46So he
29:47was bitter
29:47when he
29:48left because
29:48he felt
29:49that they
29:49mistrusted
29:51him and
29:52disbelieved him.
29:53When you
29:53go back
29:53through the
29:54baseball
29:54encyclopedia
29:55and say
29:56Roger Maris
29:57broke Babe Ruth's
29:59record he was
29:59traded for
30:00Charlie Smith
30:01who was that?
30:02And it was
30:02almost an
30:03abandonment.
30:06Well
30:06when Corey's
30:08like
30:08up there so
30:09I think
30:10many of us
30:12on the club
30:13were a little
30:13leery of him
30:14when the
30:14trade was
30:15announced
30:15that he
30:16might be
30:17a bit
30:17of a
30:17prima donna
30:18but we
30:18found out
30:19as soon
30:19as he
30:19joined
30:19the ball
30:20club
30:20we were
30:20dead
30:21wrong.
30:22Maris
30:22was not
30:22the ball
30:23player
30:23that he
30:23had been
30:24during his
30:24glory days
30:25with the
30:25Yankees
30:26but Maris
30:27was a
30:27team leader
30:28and he
30:28still gave
30:29you a
30:30100%
30:30performance
30:31on the
30:31field.
30:32Roger
30:32loved it.
30:33He loved
30:33it here.
30:33It was the
30:34best thing
30:34that ever
30:34happened to
30:35a midwest
30:35laid back
30:36atmosphere.
30:37Just go
30:37out and
30:38play hard
30:38and show
30:39the people
30:39that you
30:39want to
30:40play hard
30:40and try
30:40to win
30:41and they'll
30:41back you
30:42and he
30:42did that
30:43and they
30:43did.
30:43And I
30:44think he
30:44enjoyed
30:44the fact
30:45that family
30:46was closer
30:46we could
30:47get there
30:47part of
30:47the time
30:48where in
30:48New York
30:49we didn't
30:49see him
30:50very much
30:50at all.
30:51Of course
30:51they didn't
30:51have the
30:52press
30:52like he
30:52had in
30:53New York
30:53and it
30:54was just
30:54a whole
30:55different
30:55outlook
30:56on life
30:57there.
30:57He was
30:58away from
30:58the intensity
30:59of New York
31:00away from
31:01the wire
31:05tribute quite
31:05a lot
31:06to the
31:06team.
31:07You watch
31:07him go
31:08out in
31:09his day
31:09to day
31:09routine
31:10playing
31:10hard
31:10taking
31:11guys
31:11out
31:11at
31:11second
31:12base
31:12diving
31:13trying
31:13to
31:13catch
31:14balls
31:14you look
31:15at that
31:15and you
31:15say
31:15hey
31:16the
31:17home run
31:17king
31:18does it
31:18like
31:18that
31:18let's
31:19go
31:19fellas
31:20nobody
31:20can
31:20shake
31:21it
31:21around
31:21here.
31:22Although
31:22he hit
31:23only nine
31:23homers
31:24Marist
31:25played his
31:25new
31:25supportive
31:26role
31:26to
31:26perfection
31:27as
31:27the
31:27Cardinals
31:28won
31:28the 1967
31:29pennant
31:30with the
31:30best
31:30record
31:31in
31:31baseball.
31:31And
31:32they won
31:33the
31:33World
31:33Series.
31:34They won
31:34the
31:35World
31:35Series
31:35and he
31:36was
31:36going
31:36to
31:36retire
31:37and
31:38August
31:38Bush
31:38Jr.
31:39said
31:39well if
31:39you play
31:40another
31:40year
31:40I'll
31:41see
31:41that
31:41you
31:41get
31:42a
31:42distributorship
31:43and so
31:44Roger agreed
31:45to stay
31:46another year.
31:47I think
31:47it was
31:48one hand
31:48washing
31:49the other.
31:49Roger
31:50went there
31:51played
31:51hard
31:51helped
31:52him
31:52win
31:52and
31:52the
31:52payoff
31:53was
31:53Gussie
31:54Bush
31:54the
31:55owner
31:55of
31:55the
31:55Cardinals
31:56gave
31:56him
31:56a beer
31:57franchise
31:57in
31:58Gainesville
31:58Florida
31:59which
32:01after
32:03helping
32:03the
32:03Cardinals
32:04to
32:04yet
32:04another
32:04pennant
32:05Maris
32:05retired
32:06at
32:0634
32:07with
32:07275
32:08homers
32:09and
32:09a lot
32:10of
32:10residual
32:10resentment
32:11toward
32:11the
32:12Yankees.
32:13He
32:13was
32:13a
32:13little
32:14bitter
32:14until
32:15they
32:15changed
32:15the
32:16front
32:16office
32:16because
32:17he
32:17never
32:17went
32:17back
32:18to
32:18any
32:18functions
32:19there
32:19at
32:20all
32:20until
32:21Mr. Steinbrenner
32:22came in.
32:23He
32:23wasn't
32:23too
32:23happy
32:23the way
32:23things
32:24ended
32:24up
32:24in
32:24New York
32:25his
32:25last
32:25few
32:25years
32:26and
32:26I
32:27think
32:27that's
32:28why
32:28he
32:29stayed
32:29away.
32:30Eventually
32:30Steinbrenner
32:31convinced
32:32Maris
32:33to
32:33make
32:34his
32:34appearance
32:34to
32:35soften
32:35and
32:35come
32:35back
32:36to
32:36Yankee
32:36Stadium.
32:38One year
32:38we were
32:38putting
32:38in a
32:39baseball
32:39park
32:40at
32:40the
32:40local
32:40high
32:41school
32:41and
32:42Roger
32:42said
32:42well
32:42I'll
32:43come
32:43if
32:44you'll
32:44donate
32:44some
32:45money
32:45for
32:46a
32:46baseball
32:46field
32:47here
32:47and
32:47now
32:48it's
32:48a
32:48beautiful
32:48field
32:49in
32:49Dainesville
32:49and
32:50it's
32:50called
32:50Roger
32:50Maris
32:51Field.
32:52On
32:53opening
32:53day
32:531978
32:55Maris
32:55flew
32:56unannounced
32:58reunited
32:58with his
32:59old
32:59roommate.
33:00Six
33:00seasons
33:01later
33:01he
33:02joined
33:02the
33:02inner
33:02circle
33:03of
33:03Yankee
33:04history.
33:06This
33:07is a
33:07big
33:07highlight
33:07for
33:08me.
33:11I
33:11am
33:12very
33:12proud
33:12and
33:13very
33:14happy.
33:15I
33:16think
33:16Roger
33:16was
33:17probably
33:17very
33:18nervous
33:18that
33:18day.
33:19I
33:19think
33:19probably
33:20more
33:20so
33:20than
33:20I
33:20ever
33:21seen
33:21him
33:21making
33:22his
33:22acceptance
33:23speech.
33:23I
33:24think
33:24it
33:24was
33:24very
33:24hard
33:24for
33:25him.
33:25I
33:25think
33:26he
33:26was
33:26very
33:26proud
33:27of
33:27having
33:27his
33:27number
33:28retired.
33:29It
33:29acknowledged
33:30him
33:30not
33:31for
33:31this
33:32one
33:32feat
33:33but
33:33for
33:33the
33:33fact
33:34that
33:34he
33:34was
33:35as
33:35George
33:36Steinberg
33:36likes
33:36to say
33:37a true
33:37Yankee.
33:38All
33:38these
33:39people
33:39just
33:40cheering
33:40happily
33:41and my
33:42dad
33:42looking
33:42so
33:42proud
33:43and
33:44I
33:44was
33:44real
33:44proud
33:44of
33:45him
33:45too.
33:46He
33:46walked
33:47away
33:47at
33:47that
33:48time
33:48saying
33:48wonderful
33:50this
33:50is
33:51what
33:52it
33:52should
33:52have
33:52been
33:52like
33:53this
33:53is
33:53what
33:54I
33:54was
33:54waiting
33:54for.
33:55I
33:56got up
33:56and walked
33:57up to the
33:57top of Yankee
33:58Stadium and there was an elderly appearing gentleman that was oh I assumed acting as an usher
34:04and he says where are you from and I said Fargo oh what are you here for I said well they're honoring Roger Maris who's one of our boys this afternoon.
34:16He just shook his head and said nobody nobody should have broken the babes record.
34:25January of 1961 Roger
34:28been named the American League's most valuable player on the banquet circuit Jamestown New York a blizzard there's always a blizzard there and Mr. Fugazi who was here had chartered a plane to take us back we were all tremulous fearful about the blizzard except for one.
34:46Roger Maris sat carefully next to the pilot and explained I'm sitting next to the pilot so I can study his every move and if anything happens to him I will land the plane that was Roger Maris when sports century returns after almost four decades of punishment for one of the most heroic seasons ever played Maris is given credit on the day when a new home run record is set.
35:12As we say goodbye for this Saturday we would like to note again the passing of Roger Maris after a long battle with cancer Roger died today at the age of 51.
35:25He was diagnosed in 83 he had had bad headaches and bad neck pain for quite a while the limp glands were like a horse collar around his neck.
35:34When I heard he was dying I had a son in Albany Georgia and we drove down there and I looked at the map and I said hey Gainesville is not very far he was in remission at that time.
35:43We talked for five days never slept.
35:46Our house overlooked the golf course and it overlooked hole number seven and he would look out and just see a bunch of his buddies playing golf and you know it was sad because he knew he couldn't be out there with them.
35:59We just learned to cherish the moments we had with him that much more.
36:04And I was in the house with Mickey and he said I gotta call him and he got on the phone and talked to Roger and after about five minutes Mickey hung up the phone and he sat at the table and he couldn't talk.
36:15He said you know Roger's not gonna make it.
36:18I remember walking into the hospital room and seeing him and I was just like stunned I couldn't believe it was just like wilted away and he's just like wow and you knew that was the end.
36:31Maris died on December 14th 1985.
36:35He was laid to rest in Fargo North Dakota.
36:38It was amazing the people that were there they were just overflowing.
36:42Boy all those guys being there that he played with it was an emotional time I mean I've never seen so many grown men crying in my life.
36:49Mantle being one of the pallbearers was weeping like a child saying there's no fairness in this there's no justice in it.
36:57Roger was a good family man I should have been the one to go.
37:01It was so sad because he died so young and so tragic especially since he had reached a level of financial security and serenity in his life that he was always searching for.
37:15You know you don't know what that might have done to his health too.
37:18You know all that pressure that year.
37:21I guess what I think about is Roger's a person one that was perhaps misunderstood by the outside world.
37:28But to those who knew him best it was obvious that his dedication was to his family and to his inner circle of friends.
37:36It was very cold and somebody said to me isn't it funny all these reporters are here and they're standing out by the graveside just freezing and they said Roger's probably just laughing at him.
37:49When the evening was over and the services were over you had a real sense of how much respect he had from his teammates and the essence of any athlete I've always believed is not what the press thinks about him but what the teammates and fellow players think about him.
38:10Four days later in New York City 3,000 mourners crammed into St. Patrick's Cathedral to say goodbye and perhaps apologize to Roger Maris.
38:20People from all walks of life from the very very great you know very small so it was really very very special.
38:29Church was standing room only there were people down the steps outside down the street it was incredible to think that that many people felt something from my father.
38:41In 1991 Maris was accorded free and clear title to the single season home run record.
38:48What Ford Frick decided was that there ought to be two entries into the record book for most homers in a season.
38:57One entry for 154 games Babe Ruth and the other one for Maris at 162.
39:04Somebody had written a column saying that if Faye Vincent had a brain he would fix this mistake.
39:12We got together the committee that deals with statistics.
39:16We told them that we were going to redo that record entry and they thought that was fine and we did it.
39:22I thought that was a great coup because we rectified something that I felt was unfair.
39:29So 30 years after he broke the record, he broke the record.
39:33In 1998 the Maris mark of 61 homers was eclipsed twice by Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa.
39:51It was much more of a feel good moment for baseball than when Maris and Mantle were doing it.
39:56I think the media were more friendly to Maguire than they had been to Maris.
40:00He was controlled very well by the public relations people around the cardinals and around the press.
40:06I think that was a tremendous factor.
40:08Jumped into the seat. Jumped into the seat.
40:12It's what Hawks are the Maris here.
40:14Maguire knew to be very gracious to the Maris family.
40:18To try to include them in this record accomplishment.
40:22Roger was getting recognition that he hadn't had for a long time.
40:26For him to take time out of his glory and all his success to acknowledge my father and to come into the stands and acknowledge us.
40:35I mean, that was incredible.
40:37Today when I met with the Hall of Fame, they pulled out Roger's bat and I touched it.
40:42I touched it with my heart.
40:44Now I can honestly say that my bat will lie next to his and I'm damn proud of it.
40:49I felt like Mark Maguire encompassed the Maris family in such a way that it highlighted Roger's career.
40:56The Maris family was able to ride the crest of the emotion of baseball fans that to a large part they were denied back in 1961.
41:07No longer ranked in the top five on the all-time single season home run list, Maris is not likely to be remembered for his fine all-around game.
41:16He remains, now and forever, as the man who caught the ghost of the babe.
41:21It fell to Roger Maris to break the sexiest record in professional sports.
41:25That will always be the number one line on Maris' baseball epitaph.
41:30It appears that Roger Maris is not going to make it to the Hall of Fame, but there are many people in the Hall of Fame who have not had nearly the impact on baseball history.
41:40Besides the home runs, besides the RBIs, besides the MVP awards, he was a fine defensive player and by all accounts of players on both the Yankees team and the Cardinals team, an excellent teammate.
41:51He was an exceptionally honest, dignified, courageous man with a different, warmer, more talkative personality might have become a really loved American hero.
42:06Hmm, hmm.
42:08Roger Maris was not only caught in a clash of American icons, he also felt the squeeze of competing cultures.
42:15An Oscar-winning film by two New Yorkers made his hometown of Fargo, North Dakota famous by lampooning its old-fashioned ways.
42:23But those same ways gave Maris the quiet character we so deeply admire, yet so seldom reward.
42:30When a truck driver offered him the historic 61st home run ball, Roger insisted he keep it.
42:37For SportsCentury, I'm Chris Fowler.
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