ROGER MARIS HITS 61ST HOME RUN

JFK+50:  Volume 7, No. 2449

ROGER MARIS BREAKS BABE RUTH'S HOME RUN RECORD

New York City (JFK+50) Fifty-six years ago today, October 1, 1961, Babe Ruth's single season home run record was broken in Yankee Stadium here in the Big Apple by Roger Maris*.

Maris hit his 61st home run against Boston Red Sox pitcher Tracy Stallard in the final game of the season.

A controversy developed because Ruth hit his 60th in 154 games while Maris hit his 61st in 162 games.  In 1991, Major League Baseball awarded Maris the record officially.

*Roger Eugene Maris (1934-1985) was born in Hibbing, Minnesota & was a star athlete in basketball & football in high school.  REM signed a professional baseball contract with the Cleveland Indians & after being traded to Kansas City joined the New York Yankees in 1960.

REM  was a star hitter alongside Mickey Mantle during the early 1960s.  He was a 7 time all star.  Maris died of complications of Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1985.

Roger Maris & JFK

Oval Office

April 27, 1962

Photo by Robert L. Knudsen

www.jfklibrary.org/*

*Maris met with the President as the co-chairman of the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society & autographed a baseball for the Society's annual fundraising appeal.  

According to "Baseball Researcher", the President gave Maris a signed copy of his book Profiles In Courage while Maris gave the President a signed copy of his book Roger Maris at Bat.

That evening, April 27, 1962, Roger Maris hit his first HR of the 1962 season.

SOURCE

"JFK and Baseball", Baseball Researcher by Tom Shieber, April 3, 2015, www.baseballresearcher.blogspot.com/

ROGER MARIS MAKES BASEBALL HISTORY

JFK+50:  Volume 5, No. 2085

NEW YORK YANKEES #6 HITS 61ST HOME RUN

New York City (JFK+50) Fifty-five years ago today, October 1, 1961, Babe Ruth's 34 year old single season home run record was broken in Yankee Stadium by Roger Maris*.

Maris hit his 61st home run against Boston Red Sox pitcher Tracy Stallard in the final game of the season.


A controversy developed because Ruth hit his 60th in 154 games while Maris hit his 61st in 162 games.  In 1991, Major League Baseball awarded Maris the record officially.

*Roger Eugene Maris (1934-1985) was born in Hibbing, Minnesota & was a star athlete in basketball & football in high school.  REM signed a professional baseball contract with the Cleveland Indians & after being traded to Kansas City joined the New York Yankees in 1960.  Maris was a star hitter alongside Mickey Mantle during the early 1960s.  He was a 7 time all star.  Maris died of complications of Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1985.

Roger Maris Signs Baseball

 for the President (1962)

www.baseball.wikia.com

Roger Maris Museum

Fargo, North Dakota

 Photo by DaveZ28 (2010)

ROGER MARIS BREAKS RECORD

ROGER MARIS HITS 61ST HOME RUN

New York City (JFK+50) Fifty-three years ago today, October 1, 1961, New York Yankee slugger Roger Maris* belted his 61st home run of the season to break Babe Ruth's long-standing record of 60 homers in a single season.

The historic home run came in the 4th inning of the final game of the season at Yankee Stadium here in New York.  In his first at bat of the game, Maris had popped out.  He was facing Boston Red Sox pitcher Tracy Stallard who threw him a fastball.

The Maris home run sparked controversy, however, because Babe Ruth had hit 60 home runs during a span of 154 games, while Roger Maris hit 61 in 162 games.  The American League's position was that these were two separate records.

Thirty years later, however, Major League Baseball awarded the single season home run record exclusively to Maris.

Roger Maris and JFK

The White House

Photo Uploaded by Mglovesfun

at fr.wikipedia

*Roger Eugene Maris (1934-1985) was born in Hibbing, Minnesota.  He was the son of parents of Croatian descent.  RM grew up in Fargo, North Dakota where he was a star football player at Stanley High School.

Roger was signed by the Cleveland Indians in 1953 and was traded to the Kansas City Athletics before becoming a Yankee in 1960.  After a 6 year stint with the Yanks, Roger played with the St. Louis Cardinals.

RM was a 7 time all star, played on 3 world championship teams, won 2 American League MVP awards and 1 Golden Glove.  His #9 was retired by the NYY.  

In 1993, Roger was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and died 2 years later in Houston, Texas.

Roger Maris Museum

Fargo, North Dakota

Photo by DaveZ28 (2010)

THE OLD STONE HOUSE

October 1, 2011


WASHINGTON TRIP: "THE OLD STONE HOUSE"

                     The Old Stone House
            Photo by John White (2011)


Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) During our trip last weekend to Washington, D.C., we visited the "Old Stone House", one of the oldest known buildings in the district.


The Old Stone House is described by the National Park Service as "a simple 18th century dwelling built & inhabited by common people."


The house, completed in 1765, 10 years before the beginning of the American Revolution, is located at 3051 M Street NW in Georgetown.  


In 2003 when I last visited Georgetown, I took a break from walking from the Capitol to JFK's home on N Street by walking up white wooden steps & sitting at the top of them. (The house itself was closed).

                   The Old Stone House
          Photo by John White (2003)


Last week, we found the steps had been removed but the house was open this time. The NPS sells books & historical items inside.*


*The Old Stone House was purchased by the federal government in 1953 for $90,000 in response to a local petition. 

Jennifer Outside The Old Stone House
         Photo by John White (2011)


October 1, 1962


23,000 TROOPS IN OXFORD RESTORE ORDER


Oxford, Mississippi (JFK+50) 23,000 US troops sent to the campus of the University of Mississippi by President Kennedy have restored order after riots broke out yesterday resulting in the deaths of 2 men.


The riots came in response to the attempted enrollment at the all white University of Mississippi by African American, James Meredith.


On September 13, a federal district court ruled that "Ole Miss" must admit Meredith, but Mississippi governor Ross Barnett ordered state police to ignore the order.


After Barnett was declared in contempt of court, Meredith was successfully admitted to the university with the assistance of US marshals.

                      James Meredith
        photo by Darrell Blakely (2007)


October 1, 1962


CARSON REPLACES PARR ON "TONIGHT SHOW"


New York City (JFK+50) Comedian Johnny Carson replaced Jack Parr today as host of NBC Television's popular "Tonight Show".


The "Tonight Show" began on radio in 1951 & was based in Los Angeles.  It was hosted by Steve Allen.


The show moved to television & to New York City where Jack Parr replaced Allen as host.*


*Johnny Carson would reign as the "king of late night television" for 30 years.

                   Johnny Carson in 1965
        NY World Telegram/Sun Photo 


October 1, 1961


THE BABE'S HOME RUN RECORD IS BROKEN

          Roger Maris Signs Baseball
              for the President (1962)
            www.baseball.wikia.com


New York City (JFK+50) Babe Ruth's 34 year old single season home run record was broken in Yankee Stadium today by Roger Maris.


Maris hit his 61st home run against Boston Red Sox pitcher Tracy Stallard in the final game of the season.*


*A controversy developed because Ruth hit his 60 in 154 games while Maris hit his 61 in 162 games.  In 1991, MLB awarded Maris the record officially.

                Roger Maris Museum
                Fargo, North Dakota
            Photo by DaveZ28 (2010)


October 1, 1946


WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL SENTENCES NAZIS


Nuremberg, Germany (JFK+50) The International War Crimes Tribunal here in Nuremberg sentenced 12 high-ranking officials of the Nazi regime today.


The Nazis include Hermann Goering & Joachim von Ribbentrop who received death sentences.


Adolf Hitler's former deputy, Rudolf Hess, was given a life prison sentence.


The war crimes trial lasted 10 months & the prosecution included representatives of Britain, France, US & USSR.*


*10 of the Nazis were hanged but Goering committed suicide before he could be executed.

                     Nazis at Nuremberg 


October 1, 1934


JFK BEGINS SENIOR YEAR AT CHOATE SCHOOL


Wallingford, Connecticut (JFK+50) John F. Kennedy began his Sixth Form or Senior year at the Choate School here in Wallingford, Connecticut today.


Kennedy is the son of Mr. & Mrs. Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.


The younger Kennedy is registered for English, French, History, Physics & Public Speaking.

             JFK with "Mucker's Club" Pals
                      Choate School (1934)