Roger Maris, baseball player, 275 home runs, 1957-1968

Roger Maris

Born: 9/10/1934 in Hibbing, MN, USA

Died: 12/14/1985 in Houston, TX, USA

MLB Debut: 1957-04-16 | Final Game: 1968-09-29

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 197 lbs

Full name: Roger Eugene Maris

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Biography

Roger Maris was a prominent American baseball player, remembered for his powerful hitting and significant impact on the game during the late 1950s and 1960s. Born in 1934, Maris played as a position player from 1957 until his retirement in 1968. Over the course of his career, he participated in 1,463 games, accumulating 1,325 hits and an impressive total of 275 home runs. His ability to drive in runs was reflected in his 851 RBIs, and he maintained a batting average of .260. Maris also showcased his speed on the bases, finishing his career with 21 stolen bases. Maris was a seven-time All-Star and is perhaps best known for breaking Babe Ruth's single-season home run record in 1961, a feat that captivated the nation and forever etched his name in baseball lore. This achievement came during a period of intense scrutiny and media attention, as the race for home runs became a focal point of American sports culture. His legacy was further solidified when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009, recognizing his contributions to the game and the challenges he faced as a player. Roger Maris's career remains a significant chapter in baseball history, representing both the triumphs and pressures of a player in the spotlight.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1463 5101 826 1325 195 42 275 851 21 652 733 0.260 0.345 0.476 0.822 17254.2

Career AVG .260 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .345 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — +9.4% above league average.

Career SLG .476 vs. league average .378 across their career seasons — +25.9% above league average.

Career OPS 0.822 vs. league average 0.694 across their career seasons — +18.4% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1957 CLE AL 116 358 61 84 9 5 14 51 8 60 79 0.235 .257 (-9%) .323 (+6%) .391 (+4%) .715 (+5%) 456.2
1958 CLE AL 51 182 26 41 5 1 9 27 4 17 33 0.225 .257 (-13%) .324 (-12%) .394 (+5%) .719 (-3%) -142.3
1958 KC1 AL 99 401 61 99 14 3 19 53 0 28 52 0.247 .257 (-4%) .324 (-8%) .394 (+11%) .719 (+2%) -142.3
1959 KC1 AL 122 433 69 118 21 7 16 72 2 58 53 0.273 .256 (+6%) .323 (+11%) .392 (+18%) .715 (+15%) 1306.5
1960 NYY AL 136 499 98 141 18 7 39 112 2 70 65 0.283 .255 (+11%) .323 (+15%) .387 (+50%) .711 (+34%) 3307.6
1961 NYY AL 161 590 132 159 16 4 61 142 0 94 67 0.269 .258 (+4%) .328 (+13%) .399 (+55%) .727 (+36%) 4475.1
1962 NYY AL 157 590 92 151 34 1 33 100 1 87 78 0.256 .257 (-1%) .326 (+9%) .393 (+23%) .719 (+17%) 2140.9
1963 NYY AL 90 312 53 84 14 1 23 53 1 35 40 0.269 .246 (+9%) .308 (+12%) .371 (+46%) .680 (+30%) 1636.7
1964 NYY AL 141 513 86 144 12 2 26 71 3 62 78 0.281 .250 (+12%) .312 (+16%) .377 (+23%) .690 (+20%) 2136.4
1965 NYY AL 46 155 22 37 7 0 8 27 0 29 29 0.239 .245 (-3%) .310 (+15%) .371 (+18%) .682 (+17%) 494.1
1966 NYY AL 119 348 37 81 9 2 13 43 0 36 60 0.233 .248 (-6%) .309 (-1%) .376 (+2%) .685 (avg) 44.7
1967 STL NL 125 410 64 107 18 7 9 55 0 52 61 0.261 .242 (+8%) .306 (+13%) .357 (+13%) .663 (+13%) 1044.2
1968 STL NL 100 310 25 79 18 2 5 45 0 24 38 0.255 .236 (+8%) .298 (+3%) .340 (+10%) .638 (+7%) 278.9

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
41 152 26 33 5 0 6 18 18 21 0.217

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1968 WS SLN 6 19 5 3 1 0 0 1 3 3 0.158
1967 WS SLN 7 26 3 10 1 0 1 7 3 1 0.385
1964 WS NYA 7 30 4 6 0 0 1 1 1 4 0.200
1963 WS NYA 2 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
1962 WS NYA 7 23 4 4 1 0 1 5 5 2 0.174
1961 WS NYA 5 19 4 2 1 0 1 2 4 6 0.105
1960 WS NYA 7 30 6 8 1 0 2 2 2 4 0.267

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 1383 1316 2649 76 49 15

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1957 CLE OF 112 99 266 10 7 2
1958 CLE OF 47 44 113 6 4 1
1958 KC1 OF 99 98 190 9 5 3
1959 KC1 OF 117 110 231 7 6 4
1960 NYA OF 131 131 263 6 4 1
1961 NYA OF 160 160 266 9 9 1
1962 NYA OF 154 151 316 4 3 0
1963 NYA OF 86 85 162 6 2 1
1964 NYA OF 137 132 250 6 1 0
1965 NYA OF 43 42 66 1 2 0
1966 NYA OF 95 93 133 3 1 0
1967 SLN OF 118 100 224 5 2 1
1968 SLN OF 84 71 169 4 3 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Left Field 27
Center Field 257
Right Field 1151

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1961 Most Valuable Player
1961 TSN All-Star OF
1961 TSN Major League Player of the Year
1961 TSN Player of the Year
1960 Gold Glove RF
1960 Most Valuable Player
1960 TSN All-Star OF
1960 TSN Player of the Year

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1964 Most Valuable Player AL 25th 4.0 280 0
1961 Most Valuable Player AL 1st 202.0 280 7
1960 Most Valuable Player AL 1st 225.0 336 8