60 Home Runs in 154 games: Ruth yes. Maris no. Bonds, McGwire, Sosa?

In October 1960 commissioner Ford Frick indicated that an American League (AL) batter who challenged the season home run record of 60 by Babe Ruth, must do so within his team's first 154 games, not the new 162 games in 1961.

Roger Maris, Ford Frick and the asterisk (*) for 61 Home Runs in 1961. Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Excerpts from old research:

... baseball commissioner Ford Frick, a former writer and an old friend of Ruth's. In late October 1960 Frick was quoted in the New York Times as saying: "It's a question that has been bothering me for some time. The principal records in the book seem safe … My opinion on that (Babe's record of 60) is almost a conviction. I don't think the Babe's record is vulnerable … but I intend to ask the rules committee to study this problem and try to soften the impact when necessary. My own idea is that some records might deserve to be listed in two categories - the one made during a 154-game schedule and the other one made during a 162-game schedule."
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Rk	Player	HR	Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
1	Barry Bonds	73	2001	36	SFG	NL	153	664	476	129	156	32	2	137	177	35	93	9	0	2	5	13	3	.328	.515	.863	1.379	*7/DH
2	Mark McGwire	70	1998	34	STL	NL	155	681	509	130	152	21	0	147	162	28	155	6	0	4	8	1	0	.299	.470	.752	1.222	*3/H
3	Sammy Sosa	66	1998	29	CHC	NL	159	722	643	134	198	20	0	158	73	14	171	1	0	5	20	18	9	.308	.377	.647	1.024	*9/8
4	Mark McGwire	65	1999	35	STL	NL	153	661	521	118	145	21	1	147	133	21	141	2	0	5	12	0	0	.278	.424	.697	1.120	*3/H
5	Sammy Sosa	64	2001	32	CHC	NL	160	711	577	146	189	34	5	160	116	37	153	6	0	12	6	0	2	.328	.437	.737	1.174	*9
6	Sammy Sosa	63	1999	30	CHC	NL	162	712	625	114	180	24	2	141	78	8	171	3	0	6	17	7	8	.288	.367	.635	1.002	*98
7	Roger Maris	61	1961	26	NYY	AL	161	698	590	132	159	16	4	141	94	0	67	7	0	7	16	0	0	.269	.372	.620	.993	*98/H
8	Babe Ruth	60	1927	32	NYY	AL	151	691	540	158	192	29	8	165	137		89	0	14			7	6	.356	.486	.772	1.258	*97

Updated with Aaron Judge 2022 with games remaining:

Rk	Player	HR	AB	Year	59	60	61	AB/HR	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA
1	Barry Bonds	73	476	2001	139	141	144	6.52	36	SFG	NL	153	664
2	Mark McGwire	70	509	1998	139	141	143	7.27	34	STL	NL	155	681
3	Sammy Sosa	66	643	1998	148	149	150	9.74	29	CHC	NL	159	722
4	Mark McGwire	65	521	1999	150	155	156	8.02	35	STL	NL	153	661
5	Sammy Sosa	64	577	2001	153	157	158	9.02	32	CHC	NL	160	711
6	Sammy Sosa	63	625	1999	140	148	149	9.92	30	CHC	NL	162	712
7	Roger Maris	61	590	1961	155	159	163	9.67	26	NYY	AL	161	698
7	Aaron Judge	61	552	2022	146	147	155	9.05	30	NYY	AL	144	641
8	Babe Ruth	60	540	1927	152	154		9.00	32	NYY	AL	151	691
Rk	Player	HR	AB	Year	59	60	61	AB/HR	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA

Games above are the number for the player. But did he reach 60 homers in his team's first 154 games?

Both the 1927 and 1961 Yankees played a tie game and so the team played 155 and 163 games respectively. Ruth broke his 1921 record of 59 HR when he hit number 60 in Yankee game 154 at the Stadium. Ruth did not homer in the final game, number 155.

In 1961 Maris for some reason was allowed that extra game, too, since the Yankees had already played their tie game way back on April 22, 1961 in Baltimore. Maris reached Yankee game 155 with 58 HR. Maris hit number 59 in that fateful night game Sept. 20, 1961, also in Baltimore. Maris would eventually tie and then pass Ruth in Yankee Stadium in Yankee games 159 and 163.

But what of Bonds, McGwire, Sosa? Here are the team game numbers for when they hit home runs 59, 60, 61.

Rk	Player	HR	AB	Year	59	60	61
1	Barry Bonds	73	476	2001	139	141	144
2	Mark McGwire	70	509	1998	139	141	143
3	Sammy Sosa	66	643	1998	148	149	150
4	Mark McGwire	65	521	1999	150	155	156
5	Sammy Sosa	64	577	2001	153	157	158
6	Sammy Sosa	63	625	1999	140	148	149
7	Roger Maris	61	590	1961	155	159	163
8	Babe Ruth	60	540	1927	152	154

Maris was last for all three home runs, taking the most team games to hit them. Bonds and McGwire were almost dead even for the lead. After they hit number 60, they had 21 games remaining. McGwire hit another 10 and Bonds hit another 13. Amazing no matter what they were using.

So the performance enhancing drug (PED) users out performed Maris.