"For those who expected too much of him, Roger Maris disappointed in 1962 with 33 homers and 100 RBIs. Few gave him credit, however, for his outstanding defensive play and superior team spirit in a year when he was hampered by a lame shoulder.
The Fargo (ND) fireball, who exploded a record 61 homers in 1961, has led the club in driving home scores in his three years in New York. He was with Indians and Athletics and has yet to hit .300 in six seasons."
-Don Schiffer, 1963 Major League Baseball Handbook
"The other half of the legendary M & M outfield duo, Roger Maris has had three highly productive seasons as a Yankee. The all-time home run champion (61 in 1961) retained his Yankee laurels last season with a reduced output of 33 to bring his three-season total to 133. Roger is famed for his home run production, but it is his all-around play that has contributed to the last three pennants and two World Series triumphs scored by the Yanks. A fine outfielder and a good baserunner, Rog is still aiming at that .300 batting mark for a season. He has totaled 100 or more runs batted in a year for all three Yankee seasons and twice has won the American League's Most Valuable Player award (1960 and 1961). Winner of the coveted Hickock Belt as the Top Professional Athlete of 1961 and a host of other awards, Roger Maris at 28 should still have his most productive seasons ahead of him.
But despite his personal accomplishments, the right fielder aims to contribute to another successful pennant drive for the Yankees."
-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook
Traded to New York Yankees with first baseman Kent Hadley and shortstop Joe DeMaestri for pitcher Don Larsen, first baseman Marv Throneberry and outfielders Hank Bauer and Norm Siebern, December 1959.
Led American League in runs batted in (112), 1960.
Led American League in slugging percentage (.581), 1960.
Hit home run in first World Series at-bat, October 5, 1960.
American League Most Valuable Player, 1960.
Hit 61 home runs in 1961- more than any player in one season.
Combined with Mickey Mantle to break Babe Ruth's and Lou Gehrig's 1927 home run [record for teammates] (107) with 115.
Set American League record for most home runs in six consecutive games (7), 1961.
Led American League in runs batted in (142), 1961.
Tied for American League lead in runs scored (132), 1961.
Winner of Hickok Belt as Top Professional Athlete of the Year, 1961.
American League Most Valuable Player, 1961.
Associated Press Athlete of the Year, 1961.
Led Yankees in runs batted in (100), 1962.
-1963 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
"Although Roger Maris dropped off greatly from his 1961 performance of 61 home runs and 142 runs batted to 33 HR and 100 RBI for 1962, he still was an important factor in the Yankee pennant victory.
On many occasions, he contributed the key hit or game-winning round-tripper that kept the Bombers going in the right direction.
True, with his .256 average and forced benching for a short period, Rog lost much prestige, as witness his not getting a single vote in the MVP poll in which Mantle and Richardson ran one-two. Maris had won that prize two years running, in 1960 and 1961.
So you can be sure he's really out to bounce back to the top of the heap in 1963.
Rog began his major league career with the Cleveland Indians in 1957 after four years of minor league experience. He was swapped by the Tribe on June 15, 1958 to the Kansas City A's, along with pitcher Dick Tomanek and infielder Preston Ward, in exchange for first baseman Vic Power and shortstop Woody Held.
After a fair-to-middling 1959 campaign, the A's traded Maris to the Yanks that December, along with first sacker Kent Hadley and shortstop Joe DeMaestri, for outfielders Hank Bauer and Norm Siebern, first Marv Throneberry and pitcher Don Larsen.
Since he became a member of the Stadium crew, Rog has done many things and won many honors. Here are a few:
Won the Hickock Belt as Top Pro Athlete of 1961 ; A.L. MVP 1960-61 ; AP Pro Athlete of the Year, 1961 ; set A.L. mark with seven homers in six straight games in '61 ; led A.L. in slugging percentage, 1960 ; hit home run in first time at bat in World Series, October 5, 1960 ; named Player of the Year by The Sporting News in 1961.
The 28-year-old Maris, who resides in Independence, MO, has appeared in three World Series with the Bombers and has represented the junior loop in seven All-Star contests."
-1963 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook
"In 1960 when he came to the New York Yankees from Kansas City, Roger Maris was criticized for not being as good as his teammate Mickey Mantle. That season, Maris drove in 112 runs to lead the American League and won the Most Valuable Player award.
In 1961, Maris was criticized for not being as good as Babe Ruth. That season Maris hit 61 home runs, surpassing Ruth's record of 60, and again won the MVP award.
In 1962, Maris finally met his match. He hit 33 home runs and drove in 100 runs, but to everyone, including the outfielder himself, it was obvious that Maris was not as good as Roger Maris and probably never would be. 'Even when he hit 61, Roger knew he wasn't that good,' says one Yankee. 'He's a fine ballplayer, but when people know you've done it once and when they're paying you $100,000 to do it again, they expect perfection.'
By mid-season, he was barely batting over .200 and was the favorite target of every sniping writer and booing fan in every American League city, including New York. 'After a while, I just tried to forget about everything and just try to salvage something out of the season,' he says. Though he hit only .256, he still led the club in homers and RBIs and he still was one of the best defensive right fielders in baseball."
-Bill Wise, 1963 Official Baseball Almanac
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