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Roger Eugene Maris (September 10, 1934 – December 14, 1985) was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs (set in 1927). Maris' record stood for 37 years. Maris played for 12 seasons (1957-1968) for four different teams. He appeared in seven World Series, winning three of them. He was an MVP, All-Star, and Gold Glove outfielder, whose uniform number 9 was retired by the New York Yankees. His accomplishment of 61 home runs in a season, which was... MORE

Roger Eugene Maris (September 10, 1934 – December 14, 1985) was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs (set in 1927). Maris' record stood for 37 years. Maris played for 12 seasons (1957-1968) for four different teams. He appeared in seven World Series, winning three of them. He was an MVP, All-Star, and Gold Glove outfielder, whose uniform number 9 was retired by the New York Yankees. His accomplishment of 61 home runs in a season, which was debated greatly in its own time, came back to the forefront in 1998, when the record was broken by both Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. The son of Croatian immigrants, he was born Roger Eugene Maras(he later changed his last name to Maris) in Hibbing, Minnesota. He grew up in Grand Forks and Fargo, North Dakota, where he attended Shanley High School. A gifted athlete, Maris participated in many sports while in Fargo, and excelled at football. He still holds the official high school record for most kickoff return touchdowns in a game, with four. At an early age, Maris exhibited an independent, LESS