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Reflections on America's pasttime: Why Maris should be in the Hall

Barry Bonds He rounded the bases the same way he did when he hit his first homerun that year. He tipped his hat to Yankee Stadium and sat down in the dugout after hitting what would be the most controversial homerun in Major League Baseball.

are available now for sale or purchase. Yankee Stadium has been home to some of the greatest teams and players in baseball history, so tickets to see the Yankees are always in high demand. No matter what year it is you can be sure that the Yankees are in a position to make it to the World Series. Whether you love 'em, or love to hate 'em, the Yankees always bring plenty of entertainment to lucky ticket holders.

Pete Rose It is true that in baseball the only certainty is the 90 feet that exists between the bases. On any given day, the strike zone may be higher or lower, a deep fly ball can be held up by the wind, or a player's achievements may not be recognized to put him into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. For Roger Maris, it is the latter.

To a European or Asian, a Yankee is an American; to a southern American, a Yankee is a Northerner; to a Northerner, a Yankee is a New Englander; to a New Englander, a Yankee is a Vermonter; to a Vermonter, a Yankee is a person who eats apple pie for breakfast; to a Vermont person who eats apple pie for breakfast, a Yankee is someone who eats it with a knife.

Jeter Many baseball fans have heard the story or seen the movie 61*. Many may not think twice about why he has yet to have been elected into baseball's coveted Hall of Fame. I, on the other hand, feel a grave injustice has been inflicted upon his achievements as an outstanding baseball player.

The Yankees are revoking the season tickets of fans who have sold their unused tickets on StubHub.com and other Web sites and are looking to start their own entity to sell tickets in the lucrative secondary market. "Why pick on me " said Orlando Bautista, a doctor in Smithtown, N.Y., deck and bleacher seats at Yankee Stadium would be revoked after the season.

Mickey Mantle The 1960 trade between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals brought the two best players of their time together on the same team, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. In 1961, the M&M boys brought thousands of people out to the park to watch the two battle it out to see who would break Babe Ruth's homerun record. At the time, the very idea that someone could shatter this long-standing record was more of a myth than a possibility. Who would have guessed that this guy from North Dakota could come to New York City and break a record that the Yankees and New Yorkers had cherished for 37 years?

With such a crippling start of the season, it must have become routine for Yankee fans to sit on the edge of their seats mumbling prayers under their breath for a miracle. On Sunday afternoon, their prayers were answered. During the 7th inning stretch in the game between the Yankees and Mariners, pitcher Roger Clemens announced to the thousands in Yankee Stadium and the millions watching at home, that he was coming back to the Bronx; making it the second time that Clemens wears the famous pinstripes. People in the stadium, along with everyone else watching on the YES network, must have been absolutely flabbergasted when the announcement was made. With Joe Torre on the hot seat and George Steinbrenner sweating bullets during each game, million team would pull something big to save themselves and their image. This miracle cost them a mere $28 million.

Roger Maris Unfortunately, for Maris, it was an expansion year. The pitchers were spread thin, eight games were added to the season, and thus 61 homeruns in 162 games is a mere pile compared to the 60 Babe Ruth hit in 154 games. Did it matter that Babe Ruth also set the record in an expansion year? Not to Commissioner Ford Frick who decided that any records set after the 154th game would receive an asterisk behind it.

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Roger Clemens As of this year, Maris is the only eligible player who has won the MVP two years in a row that is not in Cooperstown, and he is more than qualified to be elected. In the 12 seasons Maris played, he went yard 275 times, had a .260 batting average and had a .982 fielding percentage. Maris also played in seven World Series and won three rings. He won a Golden Glove in left field during an era where many future Hall of Famer players played outfield. Finally, he held the homerun record for 38 years, longer than any homerun record has lasted, and it is still today considered as being one of the most respected records in all of sports. All of these statistics are more than comparable to current members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Jason Giambi Many argue that Maris did not have the character that is a criterion considered in voting. Granted he shied away from the spotlight, but the Yankees did not protect him the same way players are protected today. This year, Maris received 22 percent of the votes on the Veterans Committee Ballot. He needed 75 percent. The next election for the Veterans Committee will not be until 2005, and every year that goes by, the chances for his accomplishments to be acknowledged dwindle.

Pitcher In 1961, Roger Maris was, as his monument in Yankee Stadium says, "against all odds." Now, over 40 years have passed since that day in October when he accomplished a feat many thought to be impossible, and Maris is still "against all odds."

Lakers --

Jorge Posada Mark Guy
Guest columnist

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