Roger Maris Home Run graph by PA 1960-1961. Tied at PA 338.

This graph compares the Home Run totals by the Plate Appearances (PA) of Roger Maris for 1960 and 1961. Since Maris had many more PA in 1961, the graph uses all 578 PA of 1960 and the first 578 PA of 1961.

The Maris HR totals were tied as late as PA 338.

Maris started his record setting 1961 season slowly and did not hit his first HR until Yankee game ten. In his first Yankee season, 1960, Maris hit two HR in his first game. But his big early 1960 lead lasted quite a while. Maris hit 1960 HR #10 in PA 125 (Yankee game 32) on May 28, 1960 off lefty Jack Kralick; in 1961 Maris also homered in PA 125 but it was only HR #5 off Jim Perry in Yankee game 29 on May 19, 1961.

Some other milestones: PA, 1960, 1961
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200

18

15

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230	19	18
231	19	19
232	19	19
233	19	20
234	20	20

20

2

1961-06-11 (2)

NYY

LAA

Johnny James

20

1

1960-06-22

NYY

@

DET

Hank Aguirre

240

20

21

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243

20

22

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255	21	22
256	22	22
257	22	23

22

1

1961-06-14

NYY

@

CLE

Gary Bell

21

1

1960-06-26 (2)

NYY

@

CLE

Mudcat Grant

22

2

1960-06-26 (2)

NYY

@

CLE

Jim Perry

23

1

1961-06-17

NYY

@

DET

Don Mossi

265

24

24

Maris hit #24 in PA 265 in both 1960 and 1961.

24

2

1960-06-29

NYY

KCA

Ray Herbert

24

1

1961-06-18

NYY

@

DET

Jerry Casale

268	25	24
269	25	25

25

1

1960-06-30

NYY

KCA

Bob Trowbridge

25

1

1961-06-19

NYY

@

KCA

Jim Archer

272

25

26

281

25

27

286

26

27

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291

27

27

27

1

1960-07-06

NYY

@

BAL

Hal Brown

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317

28

27

28

1

1960-07-16

NYY

@

DET

Tom Morgan

Maris hit number 28 in 1960 in Yankee game 77 (46-31), which was exactly half of the 154 game schedule. In 1961 the American League would add two new teams and eight more games, a 5% increase. In 1960 Roger Maris was ahead of his 1961 home run pace at the 1960 half way point.

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321

28

28

28

1

1961-07-01

NYY

WSA

Dave Sisler

Maris hit number 28 in 1961 in Yankee game 73 (46-27). Then two more 1961 homers in the next game to reach 30, half way to the Babe Ruth record of 60.

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330	29	30
331	29	30
332	30	30
333	30	30
334	30	31
335	30	31
336	30	31
337	31	31
338	31	31
339	31	32

The Maris HR totals were tied as late as PA 338, after which the 1961 Maris pulled away, helped in part by the injury that 1960 Maris suffered Sunday, August 14, 1960. See previous post:

Roger Maris loses 1960 Home Run race to Mickey Mantle 40-39.  Thursday, June 1, 2017

Why look at Roger Maris in 1960? Because it provides a base of comparison to his record setting season of 1961, which, of course, had 5% more games and pitching diluted significantly...

Mantle had hit number 27 July 31 and so trailed Maris 35-27. Eventually, Mantle beat out Maris 40-39 to lead the AL in 1960.

What happened to Maris? He was injured. And then he slumped.

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