Roger Maris was shutout in MVP vote one year after hitting 61 Home Runs.

In his first two seasons (1960 and 1961) with the Yankees Roger Maris hit 100 Home Runs (39+61) and was voted American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP). Maris edged out teammate Mickey Mantle both years.

The Yankees won the AL pennant five consecutive years (World Series win bold) with Maris: 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964.

1960:

		Voti	Voti	Voti		Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt
Rank	Name	Tm	Vote Pts	1st Place	Share	WAR	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	BB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1	Roger Maris	NYY	225.0	8.0	67%	7.5	136	499	98	141	39	112	2	70	.283	.371	.581	.952
2	Mickey Mantle	NYY	222.0	10.0	66%	6.4	153	527	119	145	40	94	14	111	.275	.399	.558	.957
3	Brooks Robinson	BAL	211.0	3.0	63%	4.1	152	595	74	175	14	88	2	35	.294	.329	.440	.769
4	Minnie Minoso	CHW	141.0	2.0	42%	2.8	154	591	89	184	20	105	17	52	.311	.374	.481	.855
5	Ron Hansen	BAL	110.0	1.0	33%	3.9	153	530	72	135	22	86	3	69	.255	.342	.440	.781

1961:

		Voti	Voti	Voti		Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt
Rank	Name	Tm	Vote Pts	1st Place	Share	WAR	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	BB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1	Roger Maris	NYY	202.0	7.0	72%	6.9	161	590	132	159	61	141	0	94	.269	.372	.620	.993
2	Mickey Mantle	NYY	198.0	6.0	71%	10.5	153	514	131	163	54	128	12	126	.317	.448	.687	1.135
3	Jim Gentile	BAL	157.0	5.0	56%	6.9	148	486	96	147	46	141	1	96	.302	.423	.646	1.069
4	Norm Cash	DET	151.0	1.0	54%	9.2	159	535	119	193	41	132	11	124	.361	.487	.662	1.148
5	Whitey Ford	NYY	102.0	0.0	36%	4.1	39	96	11	17	0	10	0	12	.177	.266	.188	.454

In 1962 Maris hit 33 Home Runs (5th) and had 100 RBI (8th).

Home Runs

1.	Killebrew • MIN	48
2.	Cash • DET	39
3.	Colavito • DET	37
	Wagner • LAA	37
5.	Gentile • BAL	33
	Maris • NYY	33
7.	Mantle • NYY	30
8.	Kaline • DET	29
	Allison • MIN	29
10.	Thomas • LAA	26

Runs Batted In

1.	Killebrew • MIN	126
2.	Siebern • KCA	117
3.	Colavito • DET	112
4.	Robinson • CHW	109
5.	Wagner • LAA	107
6.	Thomas • LAA	104
7.	Allison • MIN	102
8.	Maris • NYY	100
9.	Rollins • MIN	96
10.	Malzone • BOS	95

But Maris got no MVP votes in 1962. Roger Maris was shutout in MVP vote one year after setting the season record with 61 Home Runs, breaking the legendary record of 60 by Babe Ruth in 1927.

This is not to suggest that Maris should have been voted MVP in 1962. But it is to suggest that Maris was well known and could reasonably have received a tenth place vote.

1962:

			Voti	Voti	Voti		Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt	Batt
Rank	Name	Tm	Vote Pts	1st Place	Share	WAR	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	BB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1	Mickey Mantle	NYY	234.0	13.0	84%	6.0	123	377	96	121	30	89	9	122	.321	.486	.605	1.091
2	Bobby Richardson	NYY	152.0	5.0	54%	3.2	161	692	99	209	8	59	11	37	.302	.337	.406	.743
3	Harmon Killebrew	MIN	99.0	1.0	35%	2.9	155	552	85	134	48	126	1	106	.243	.366	.545	.912
4	Leon Wagner	LAA	85.0	0.0	30%	2.0	160	612	96	164	37	107	7	50	.268	.326	.500	.826

Mantle was injured and missed a month. At the end of the season he made a run at leading in batting average but finished second. Fellow Yankee second baseman Bobby Richardson finished second with paltry batting numbers. Harmon Killebrew led in HR and RBI and could have received more support.

Wins Above Replacement (WAR) was unknown in 1962 and is a total, which should have diminished Mantle's rank. However, among non pitchers Mantle (6.0) was in a virtual tie with leader Brooks Robinson (6.1). And in Offensive WAR Mantle was way ahead of Norm Siebern: 7.6 to 5.3. Siebern:

December 11, 1959: Traded by the New York Yankees with Hank Bauer, Don Larsen and Marv Throneberry to the Kansas City Athletics for Joe DeMaestri, Kent Hadley and Roger Maris.

Maris was not in the top ten in either, although his Offensive WAR 4.1 was a tie for 9th; extra decimal places must have dropped Maris lower. Rank in MVP voting:

7. Siebern
9. Robinson; voted MVP in 1964 ... Mantle second.

Maris had OPS+ 126, one point behind 10th. Mantle dominated over Siebern: 195 to 140. Not that this stat existed in 1962 but maybe they had a sense of how good Mantle was.

Yankees who received MVP votes in 1962 with their points:

1. Mickey Mantle 234
2. Bobby Richardson 152

12. Tom Tresh 30
14. Ralph Terry 19; pitcher won 23
19. Whitey Ford 6; pitcher won 17

Maris received MVP votes in only three seasons:

1960 AL (1, 67%)

1961 AL (1, 72%)

1964 AL (25, 1%)