Maris, Roger (Eugene) (1934–1985)

US baseball player. Maris was born in Hibbing, Minnesota. During his 12-year career as an outfielder (1957–68), mostly with the New York Yankees and St Louis Cardinals, he hit a career 275 home runs and was twice voted the American League Most Valuable Player (1960–61). In 1961 he slammed 61 home runs to break Babe Ruth's single season record of 60 home runs set in 1927; the reaction to his breaking Ruth's records was so extreme – and often threatening – that Maris seemed an unhappy man for the rest of his life.