61 in '61: Roger Maris' Record-Breaking Season

A League of His Own
Maris gets a hit during a game at Yankee Stadium in August 1961. Maris was admittedly a surprising candidate to break the record; during the season of his historical achievement, his batting average was only .269, as opposed to Babe Ruth's .356 the year he hit 60 home runs. And his tall, lean figure and blond hair was nothing like the lovable Great Bambino. "I'm not trying to be Babe Ruth," Maris was quoted as saying during the 1961 season. "I'm trying to hit sixty-one home runs and be Roger Maris."

• Last Out at Yankee Stadium