Roger Maris

Roger Maris was born on September 10, 1934 in the town of Hibbing, Minnesota. His family moved to Fargo, North Dakota when his father took a mechanical supervisor job, when Roger Maris was 10 years old. Roger Maris attended Fargo Shanley High School, where he found his love for football, baseball, track, and basketball and competed in all of them.

Roger Maris started his minor league career in the Class C Northern League. Roger was just one year out of high school in 1953, when he was recruited by the Cleveland team and attended spring training in Daytona Beach. Some of Roger's accomplishments in his baseball career include leading the league in RBI's for 2 years in a row, 1960 and 1961. In his lifetime career, Roger played in 7 All-Star Games from 1959 to 1962, and had a run percentage of 5.39. Roger Maris was able to hit 6 World Series home runs, that included a home-run in his first time up at bat in a World Series Game. In 1953, after being signed to Cleveland for $15,000 with a $10,000 bonus, Roger was able to make it to the major leagues. He was traded to Kansas City, where he had an outstanding season in 1958.

You know that Roger Maris was a very respected baseball player when you see quotes about Roger from some of the best in baseball. Reggie Jackson: "I have so much respect for the man. For the mental part almost more than the physical. I mean, can you imagine what its like to hit 61 home runs in a season? In New York?" Mickey Mantle: "I still see him in my dreams. We once lived together. We joked around with one another, and enjoyed the time we spent with each other." That tells you what a special man, and great athlete Roger Maris was.