Roger Maris from the Chronology

Sep 9, 2001 - The Giants squeak by the Rockies‚ 9-4 in 11 innings. Barry Bonds hits 3 HRs in a game for the 2nd time this season‚ giving him 63 for the year‚ besting Roger Maris' mark of 61 for lefthanded hitters.

Aug 3, 2001 - A jury orders Anheuser-Busch to pay the family of the late Roger Maris $50 million for improperly taking away a beer distributorship. Both sides plan to appeal the ruling‚ as attorneys for the Maris family said the panel meant to award the family $139 million‚ but were confused by the judge's instructions to the jury.

Jun 5, 2001 - The Red Sox edge the Tigers‚ 4-3‚ in 18 innings on Shea Hillenbrand's HR over the Green Monster. Tim Wakefield‚ with a scoreless inning‚ is the winner. Sox DH Manny Ramirez is handed 4 intentional walks‚ tying the AL mark set by Roger Maris‚ on May 22‚ 1962. Maris did it in a 12 inning game. The ML record is 5‚ by Andre Dawson‚ in a 16 inning game‚ on May 22‚ 1990.

Sep 27, 1998 - The Cardinals Mark McGwire hits a pair of HRs in a 6-3 win over Montreal to finish the season with a major league record 70‚ shattering Roger Maris' mark of 61 set in 1961.

Sep 8, 1998 - Mark McGwire breaks Roger Maris' single-season HR mark by clouting his 62nd of the year off Steve Trachsel in the 4th inning of the Cardinals' 6-3 win over the Cubs in St. Louis.

Sep 14, 1997 - Mark McGwire notches his 51st homer‚ and St. Louis Cardinals score seven runs in the eighth to win‚ 10-4. McGwire‚ the first player with consecutive 50-homer seasons since Babe Ruth in 1927-28‚ connects off Joey Hamilton (11-6) in the sixth. He has 17 homers in 37 games since St. Louis acquired him from Oakland on July 31 and has 14 games remaining to chase Roger Maris' season record of 61.

May 12, 1995 - Against the Pirates‚ Matt Williams hits his 7th and 8th HRs of the season‚ and in the process breaks‚ in a manner of speaking‚ Roger Maris' 162-game home run record. Williams hit 62 HRs in 161 games spread over 3 seasons: 11 HRs in the last 30 games of 1993‚ 43 homers in 115 games in 1994‚ and 8 HRs in the first 16 games of 1995.

Sep 4, 1991 - After 30 years‚ the asterisk attached to Roger Maris' 61 HRs in 1961 is removed by an 8-man Committee for Statistical Accuracy. Regarding the expunging of the asterisk‚ historian Bill Deane later points out‚ "It was an easy job: the asterisk never existed. Maris's record was‚ from 1962 until 1991‚ listed separately from Ruth's and was never actually defined by 'some distinctive mark.'" The committee also defines a no-hit game as one which ends after 9 or more innings with one team failing to get a hit. This removes 50 games from the list that had previously been considered no-no's‚ mostly shortened games‚ but also including Harvey Haddix's 12 perfect innings against the Braves in 1959 and Jim Maloney' 1965 1-0 loss in 11-innings. Another casualty is Ernie Shore's 27 straight outs in 1917‚ a game in which he relieved Ruth with a runner on and no outs in the 1st. It is now a combined no-hitter.

Sep 15, 1968 - The Cardinals clinch the NL pennant with a 7-4 win at Houston. Roger Maris hits his 275th‚ and last‚ regular-season HR‚ off Don Wilson in the 3rd‚ and Curt Flood racks up 5 hits.

Oct 9, 1967 - Roger Maris homers for the Cardinals in the 9th‚ but Jim Lonborg's 3-1 win sends the WS back to Boston.

Oct 8, 1967 - Bob Gibson is overpowering again in a 5-hit 6-0 win in Game 4. Roger Maris and Tim McCarver each have 2 RBI for St. Louis.

Dec 8, 1966 - Five years after breaking Babe Ruth's record‚ the New York Yankees trade OF Roger Maris to the Cardinals for journeyman 3B Charlie Smith. In 2 days‚ the Yanks send Pedro Ramos to the Phils for P Joe Verbanic.

Jun 29, 1965 - The Yankees lose Roger Maris for 49 games with bone chips in the heel of his right hand.

Oct 14, 1964 - Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle hit HRs on back-to-back pitches from Curt Simmons‚ and Joe Pepitone belts Gordie Richardson for a grand slam. New York wins 8-3 at St. Louis and evens the WS.

Sep 17, 1964 - The Yankees whip the Angels 6-2 to lock on to first place for good with a 2-percentage-point lead over the idle White Sox and Orioles. Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle each have 3 hits. Mantle's include his 2‚000th career hit and his 450th HR‚ his 31st of the year. The Yankees have won 2 in a row and will run their win streak to 11 games.

Sep 7, 1964 - In a morning game‚ the New York Yankees beat the Senators‚ 5-4‚ in 11 innings. The night game is postponed because of rain. Tony Kubek hits a leadoff HR for the 2nd game in a row‚ and scores the winning run in the 11th. Roger Maris has a 2-run homer and the game-winning RBI.

Aug 29, 1964 - On Elston Howard Night‚ the Yankees take 2 from Boston 10-2 and 6-1. Joe Pepitone's 3 HRs‚ including a grand slam‚ and Roger Maris's 6 singles lead the offense. Mickey Mantle hits HR number 447 in the opener and ties Babe Ruth's career strikeout record (1‚330) in the nightcap.

May 26, 1964 - The Indians complain that Whitey Ford is defacing the ball with his wedding ring‚ which is wrapped in tape‚ and after he removes the ring‚ he exists with one out in the 9th and the game tied at 2-2. Pete Mikkelson is the victor when Bobby Richardson singles home the winner‚ 3-2. Richardson has a pair of triples and Roger Maris hits a HR.

Oct 16, 1962 - New York scores the game's only run‚ as Tony Kubek grounds into a 5th-inning DP. In the 9th‚ with 2 outs and Matty Alou on 1B‚ Willie Mays rips a double to right off Ralph Terry‚ but great fielding by Roger Maris keeps Alou from scoring. Willie McCovey then hits a screaming liner toward right‚ but 2B Bobby Richardson gloves it‚ giving the Yankees a 1-0 win and a 2nd straight WS victory. Terry is named WS MVP.

Oct 4, 1962 - At Candlestick Park‚ in game one of the WS‚ Roger Maris stakes Whitey Ford to a 2-run lead with a first-inning‚ 2-run double. Only RF Felipe Alou's leaping effort keeps Maris' drive in the park. Whitey Ford's record consecutive-shutout-inning streak ends at 332?3 innings when a surprise bunt by Jose Pagan brings Willie Mays home. Clete Boyer's 7th-inning HR gives the Yankees a 6-2 win‚ the last of a record 10 WS victories for Ford.

Jun 28, 1962 - Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle break a 0-0 tie in the 4th with back-to-back HRs to lead the Yanks to a 4-2 win over the Twins.

May 22, 1962 - Roger Maris‚ who went all of 1961 without receiving an intentional walk‚ gets 4 in a 12-inning 2-1 win against the Angels to set an AL record. Maris receives 5 walks in all. Four Yankee pitchers (Whitey Ford‚ Jim Coates‚ Bud Daley‚ and Bob Turley) combine to give up just one hit in 12 innings. Ford leaves after 7 innings because of back spasms‚ and Coates gives up the lone hit‚ a one-out 9th-inning single to Bob Rodgers. It is the 2nd time this month that a Yanks combination attempt at a no hitter gets spoiled in the 9th.

Jan 26, 1962 - Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle sign contracts with Columbia Pictures to appear with star Doris Day in "Safe at Home," a movie the studio will shoot during spring training.

Dec 14, 1961 - Roger Maris' request for a $75‚000 contract is denied by Yankees GM Roy Hamey. Hamey trades C Jesse Gonder to the Reds for lefty Marshall Bridges.

Nov 15, 1961 - Roger Maris is voted AL MVP with 202 votes to 198 for Mickey Mantle and 157 for Jim Gentile.

Oct 7, 1961 - John Blanchard's pinch-hit HR ties the game in the 8th‚ and Roger Maris' 9th-inning HR off Bob Purkey is the difference in a 3-2 New York win for Luis Arroyo in game 3 of the WS.

Oct 1, 1961 - Roger Maris' torturous‚ season-long race against Babe Ruth ends in a dramatic at bat against Boston's Tracy Stallard. Maris' classic lefthanded swing sends home run number 61 into the RF stands in "The House That Ruth Built." (Sal Durante‚ one of 23‚154 fans in attendance‚ grabs the historic HR ball which he sells for $5‚000). New York's 1-0 win gives the Yanks 109 wins‚ one short of the club's 1927 record. It is New York's ML record 240th homer of the year.

Sep 29, 1961 - Johnny Blanchard singles and homers to drive in both runs in the Yanks‚ 2-1 win over the Red Sox. The Bomber handyman hits his 21st homer and singles in Roger Maris in the 9th to pin the loss on Bill Monbouquette. Whitey Ford pitches 4 scoreless innings for New York‚ and finishes the year having no stolen bases off him in 243 innings‚ a record.

Sep 26, 1961 - In New York's 159th game‚ Roger Maris rips a Jack Fisher fastball into the RF seats at Yankee Stadium for his 60th HR. New York beats Baltimore 3-2. There are fewer than 8‚000 fans on hand to view this historic event.

Sep 20, 1961 - The Yankees' 154th game of 1961 (including a tie) is Roger Maris' last chance to beat the Babe‚ in compliance with Commissioner Ford Frick's statement that‚ for the record to be broken‚ Maris must do it in the same number of games as Ruth. Maris' 59th HR of the year‚ off Milt Pappas‚ is short of the record‚ but helps New York beat Baltimore 4-2‚ clinching its 26th AL pennant. In 1998‚ Pappas will state that he told Maris the night before that‚ if the game's outcome is not on the line‚ he would throw him nothing but fastballs.

Sep 17, 1961 - In Detroit‚ Roger Maris triples off Terry Fox in the 7th to put the Yanks ahead‚ Detroit ties it and‚ then in the 12th‚ Maris faces Fox again with Kubek on 2B. Maris steps out of the box to watch a long skein of Canadian geese fly over Tiger Stadium‚ then steps in a belts the first pitch for his 58th homer of the year.

Sep 16, 1961 - At Detroit‚ Roger Maris connects for #57‚ off Frank Lary‚ to stay a game ahead of Ruth's 1927 pace. But Lary wins his 21st‚ 10-4‚ over Ralph Terry‚ with help from Norm Cash‚ who belts a homer‚ his 37th‚ and a triple. Al Kaline adds 4 hits and a sac fly.

Sep 6, 1961 - Roger Maris connects for #54‚ off Tom Cheney of the Senators‚ as the Yankees win‚ 8-0‚ behind Whitey Ford's 5-hitter. Ford is now 23-3. John Blanchard hits a pair of homers‚ each time following a walk to Mantle‚ and Moose Skowron and Bob Hale also homer.

Aug 26, 1961 - Roger Maris belts #51‚ off KC's Jerry Walker. Roger's homer in the 6th follows a Tony Kubek blast. Bill Stafford allows just one hit till the 9th inning as the Yanks win‚ 5-1.

Aug 22, 1961 - Roger Maris becomes the first player to hit his 50th HR in the month of August‚ as the Yankees lose to the Angels 4-3 (Ruth and Foxx hit #50 on September 4th). Ken McBride tees up the gopher ball in the 6th inning with one on.

Aug 16, 1961 - Roger Maris ties an AL record with his 7th HR in his 6th straight game‚ as New York beats Chicago 5-4 in the 9th inning. His two blasts off Billy Pierce give him 48‚ three more than Mickey Mantle.

Aug 12, 1961 - At Griffith Stadium‚ Roger Maris belts his 43rd homer‚ off Dick Donovan‚ but its New York's only score as they lose‚ 5-1‚ the Yanks first loss in 10 games. For Washington it is their first win in 8 games. Gene Green's pinch grand slam off Luis Arroyo is the big blow for the Nats.

Jul 25, 1961 - Roger Maris hits 4 HRs‚ tying the AL record for a twin bill as New York beats Chicago 5-1 and 12-0. Mickey Mantle also homers off Frank Baumann in the first game. He ends the day with 38 HRs to 40 for Maris.

Jul 21, 1961 - Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris slam back-to-back HRs in the first inning for New York‚ but it takes a 2-out‚ 9th-inning pinch-hit grand slam by Johnny Blanchard to finally subdue the Red Sox‚ 11-8‚ at Fenway. The pinch slam is the AL's 6th of the season‚ a new record.

Jul 5, 1961 - At Yankee Stadium‚ Roger Maris cracks a 7th inning solo HR against the Indians‚ and also is credited-erroneously‚ as it turns out-with a 3rd inning RBI on a single. The 2 RBIs are officially recorded‚ though just one appears in the game's box score‚ and the error will not be noted until 1995. With the correction‚ Maris and Jim Gentile become co-leaders in RBIs for the season.

Jun 22, 1961 - Roger Maris leads the Yankees on an 8-3 thrashing of the A's by belting his 27th homer of the year. He adds two doubles and a single. Maris has now hit 20 homers in the past 30 days (May 24 - June 22) to tie the mark set by Ralph Kiner in 1947.

May 30, 1961 - Roger Maris‚ Mickey Mantle‚ and Moose Skowron each belt 2 HRs‚ tying the ML record for most players (one club) with multiple HRs in a 9-inning game. Berra adds a homer as New York wins at Fenway Park 12-3.

May 28, 1961 - After losing the first game 14-9 at home to Chicago‚ the Yankees take the nightcap 5-3 with the help of a Roger Maris HR. Maris's 9th HR of the season is one of 27 hit in today's 7 AL games-a record. Twelve more in 4 NL games make a total of 39‚ a one-day ML record for 11 games in the 2 leagues.

Apr 26, 1961 - Roger Maris hits his first HR of 1961 off Paul Foytack of Detroit‚ and Mickey Mantle adds HRs from both sides of the plate (for the 8th time)‚ as New York wins 13-10 at Tiger Stadium. Mantle's 2nd homer‚ a 2-run shot off Hank Aguirre‚ snaps a 10-10 tie in the 10th.

Nov 2, 1960 - Roger Maris nips Mickey Mantle for the AL's Most Valuable Player award‚ 225-222‚ the 2nd-closest vote ever‚ after the DiMaggio-Williams race in 1947.

Oct 3, 1960 - The Yankees head into the WS with a 15-game winning streak‚ the 8th longest streak in the AL this century‚ after Dale Long's 2-run 9th-inning HR gives them an 8-7 win over the Red Sox. New York's 193 HRs are an AL record‚ 3 better than the 1956 Yanks. RBI leader Roger Maris drives in 3 runs‚ but falls one HR short of Mickey Mantle's league-high 40.

Oct 1, 1960 - The Yankees win their 14th straight‚ beating the Red Sox‚ 3-1 behind 3 pitchers. Jim Coates (13-3) is the winner. Nichols is the loser for the Bosox‚ while Tracy Stallard‚ in relief‚ fans Roger Maris. Maris's next at bat against Stallard will be a momentous one a year from now.

Sep 24, 1960 - Mickey Mantle's 11th-inning homer off Ted Wilks gives New York a 6-5 win over the Red Sox at Fenway. Mantle had driven in the game's second run with a drag bunt in the first to bring home Roger Maris‚ who had tripled.

Aug 14, 1960 - The Yankees lose a doubleheader to Washington and fall to 3rd place in the AL‚ a half game behind the Orioles and White Sox. P Camilo Pascual's grand slam is the difference in a 5-4 first-game win. In the 2nd‚ Mickey Mantle‚ believing there are 2 outs‚ jogs to 1B on a grounder to 3B. The Senators turn a DP‚ with New York's Roger Maris suffering bruised ribs trying to break it up at 2B. Maris will miss 18 games as a result. Mantle is heavily booed‚ and Casey Stengel replaces him with Bob Cerv. The clubs set a ML record by using 17 pinch hitters-9 by the Yankees-in the doubleheader (more than 18 innings)‚ while playing a ML record 24 errorless innings.

Jun 14, 1960 - New York beats KC‚ 6-2 behind Jim Coates and Roger Maris. Maris drives in 5 runs with a HR‚ double‚ and single. The Yankees have now 7th straight‚ all since Stengel returned from the hospital‚ and now are in a virtual tie with the Indians and Orioles for 1st place.

Apr 19, 1960 - On Patriot's Day at Fenway Park‚ Roger Maris makes his debut with the Yankees a smash as he goes 4-for-5‚ including 2 home runs‚ and drives in 4 runs. The Yanks spoil Boston's Opener with an 8-4 win as Jim Coates goes all the way for New York. Tom Brewer is the loser. Red Sox catcher Haywood Sullivan has his first ML hit after 5 seasons and 16 at bats. Mayor John Collins‚ wheel-chair bound because of polio‚ tosses out the first ball.

Dec 11, 1959 - The Athletics Arnold Johnson gives the New York Yankees an early Christmas present when he gift wraps Roger Maris in pinstripes. The Yankees acquire the slugger in a 7-player deal that sends P Don Larsen‚ RF Hank Bauer‚ 1B Marv Throneberry‚ and LF Norm Siebern to the A's.

Sep 18, 1958 - For the second time in a month‚ the first two leadoff hitters homer. This time it is KC's Bill Tuttle and Roger Maris connecting off Boston's Ted Bowsfield as the A's win‚ 4-1. Bob Cerv hits #37 for the A's and Pete Daley homers off winner Bud Daley for Boston's score.

Jun 15, 1958 - The Indians trade OF Roger Maris‚ 1B Preston Ward‚ and LHP Dick Tomanek to the Athletics for 1B Vic Power and SS Woodie Held. Insiders fear the worst: that A's president Arnold Johnson will follow script and put Maris in Yankee pinstripes.

May 18, 1958 - The Indians' Carroll Hardy pinch-hits for Roger Maris and smacks a 3-run HR off Billy Pierce to pace the Tribe's 7-4 win. Hardy will pinch-hit for Ted Williams in 1960.

Jun 16, 1957 - In the Indians‚ 6-0 loss to the Red Sox‚ Roger Maris gets hit in the eye in the 9th inning when the return throw by Sox C Sammy White hits him. Maris is lifted and Eddie Robinson finishes his at bat by striking out. White and Piersall homer to back Frank Sullivan's 4-hitter.

Apr 18, 1957 - At Detroit‚ Cleveland rookie Roger Maris hits his first ML homer‚ a grand slam in the 11‚ to pace the Tribe to an 8-3 win over the Tigers. Jack Crimian walks 3 before Maris connects.

Aug 16, 1947 - Ralph Kiner hits 3 successive HRs for the host Pittsburgh Pirates‚ in a 12-7 win over the Cardinals in a game in which the 2 clubs bang out ML record (since topped) 10 homers. Two other Bucs‚ Hank Greenberg and Billy Cox‚ and one Cardinal (Whitey Kurowski) each contribute 2 HRs to set a ML record for most players with 2+ homers in a game. Kiner matches the ML mark of seven HRs in 4 games‚ six in 3 games‚ five in 2 games‚ and 4 in consecutive at bats. By the end of the month‚ Big Ralph will still trail Mize 39 to 43 in a head-to-head HR competition that will only be matched by Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle in 1961. Starters Roger Wolff and the Cards Ken Burkhart exit in the first inning.