The illustrious Roger Maris, a baseball legend born and bred in North Dakota, whose career was marked by both unparalleled success and unfortunate controversy. Maris's journey in the pros began with the Cleveland Indians, before being traded to the Kansas City Athletics, and eventually, he found his true calling with the New York Yankees, a team that would become synonymous with his name.
As the Yankees' right fielder, Maris not only shattered Babe Ruth's single-season home run record of 60, but he also won the American League Most Valuable Player award in 1960, solidifying his status as one of the greatest players in Yankees history. However, his 1961 season, during which he broke Ruth's record, was marked by an intense media spotlight, with many fans and the press placing undue pressure on him.
Despite the weight of expectation and the scrutiny of the New York media, Maris persevered, tying and breaking the record, only to be unfairly tarnished by an asterisk beside his achievement, courtesy of then-Commissioner Ford Frick, a longtime friend and ghostwriter of Ruth's. The relentless media attention and public scrutiny took a toll on Maris, and he struggled to regain his footing, ultimately finishing his career with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he played a key role in the team's World Series victory and two National League pennants in the late 1960s.
It would take years for Maris to receive the recognition he deserved from the press and fans, but fortunately, he was able to bask in the adoration before his untimely passing from cancer in 1985.
