Roger Maris: Baseball's Reluctant Hero [Hardcover]

Tom Clavin (Author), Danny Peary (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“ This is a wonderful, definitive biography. What an extraordinary, misunderstood life of a true American hero who didn't want to be one. This is a remarkable work that belongs in every baseball fan's house.”—LARRY KING

“The authors paint a splendid portrait of the Roger Maris I knew very well and the Roger Maris I wish I knew better.”—TIM McCARVER, 21-year major leaguer and Emmy-winning FOX baseball analyst

“The amazing thing about the man who broke Babe Ruth's record was how little he resembled Babe Ruth. Introverted, troubled, shy, Roger Maris was more like a next-door neighbor than any home-run king, any Sultan of Swat. His struggles to wear the heavy overcoat of fame and notoriety are fascinating. Tom Clavin and Danny Peary show us why it didn't fit. Terrific work.”—LEIGH MONTVILLE, author of the national bestseller The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth

“Forty-nine years later, Roger Maris remains the authentic single-season home-run king. Perhaps too little, certainly too late in recent years, he has been venerated and vindicated. Better yet, in these pages, he is appreciated."—BOB COSTAS

“Here, finally, is the book that Roger Maris deserved. With deep and dogged reporting, Tom Clavin and Danny Peary have done more than rescue his reputation. In this definitive portrait, Maris acquires a meaning beyond the home-run record. He's forced to straddle a fault line in American culture, one that separates the stoic from the glib, and authentic heroes from those merely famous. This is fine and fascinating stuff.”—MARK KRIEGEL, columnist for FOXSports.com, author of Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich and Namath: A Biography

Product Description

The definitive biography of the baseball legend who broke Babe Ruth's single-season home-run record—the natural way—and withstood a firestorm of media criticism to become one of his era's preeminent players.

ROGER MARIS may be the greatest ballplayer no one really knows. In 1961, the soft-spoken man from the frozen plains of North Dakota enjoyed one of the most amazing seasons in baseball history, when he outslugged his teammate Mickey Mantle to become the game's natural home-run king. It was Mantle himself who said, "Roger was as good a man and as good a ballplayer as there ever was." Yet Maris was vilified by fans and the press and has never received his due from biographers—until now.

Tom Clavin and Danny Peary trace the dramatic arc of Maris's life, from his boyhood in Fargo through his early pro career in the Cleveland Indians farm program, to his World Series championship years in New York and beyond. At the center is the exciting story of the 1961 season and the ordeal Maris endured as an outsider in Yankee pinstripes, unloved by fans who compared him unfavorably to their heroes Ruth and Mantle, relentlessly attacked by an aggressive press corps who found him cold and inaccessible, and treated miserably by the organization. After the tremendous challenge of breaking Ruth's record was behind him, Maris ultimately regained his love of baseball as a member of the world champion St. Louis Cardinals. And over time, he gained redemption in the eyes of the Yankee faithful.

With research drawn from more than 130 interviews with Maris's teammates, opponents, family, and friends, as well as 16 pages of photos, some of which have never before been seen, this timely and poignant biography sheds light on an iconic figure from baseball's golden era—and establishes the importance of his role in the game's history.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 422 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (March 16, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416589287
• ISBN-13: 978-1416589280
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #35,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

  #15 in	Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Biographies > Baseball
  #49 in	Books > History > United States > State & Local > New York
  #20 in	Books > Sports > Baseball > History

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Roger Maris--An Authentic Hero, March 21, 2010

By	C. W. Emblom "Bill Emblom" (Ishpeming, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Roger Maris: Baseball's Reluctant Hero (Hardcover)

Maury Allen wrote a prior biography of Roger Maris in 1986, and now Tom Clavin and Danny Peary have written the definitive biography of baseball's "reluctant hero." Like several other individuals Maris has become more appreciated with the passage of time. Maris had people who would be remembered favorably and unfavorably in his career. Minor league manager Dutch Meyer punished Maris for a poor throw to third base by having him repeatedly make long distance throws to third base until Maris told him enough was enough. Kirby Farrell and Harry Craft would be remembered favorably along with Jo Jo White who taught him to pull the ball.

I graduated from high school in June of 1961 and vividly remember that memorable season when Maris challenged Ruth's home run record. Unlike today when players hold post-game press conferences the Yankees provided no protection for Maris as he was inundated with questions from all sides regarding his opinions on baseball and non-baseball related matters. Yankee publicist Bob Fishel said he never thought of having a press conference at the time following a game. It was baseball commissioner Ford Frick who taught the youth of America the meaning of the word "asterisk" when he proclaimed that Ruth's record must be broken in 154 games. Frick was a close friend of Ruth's and acted as a ghost writer for him. The authors correctly mention the unfortunate incident that took place in 1960 in Detroit involving someone who threw the back of a chair from the right field stands at Maris following a controversial home run by Bill Skowron. The movie 61* incorrectly mentions it as happening in 1961. I know it was in 1960 because I was sitting in the second deck above the Yankees' bullpen for that game.

Roger Maris spent two happy years with the St. Louis Cardinals during the seasons of 1967-1968 which brought the team two pennants and one World Championship. Following his career Maris was reluctant to return to Yankee Stadium because he felt the Yankees had lied to him prior to his departure from New York. George Steinbrenner convinced him to return to Yankee Stadium on Opening Day of the 1978 season when both Maris and Mantle would be introduced together. It proved to be a rewarding experience for Maris and he returned regularly after that as long as his health permitted. Maris said he suffered from physical ailments later in life due to playing with reckless abandon during his playing career by breaking up double plays and running into outfield walls. He said if he had to do it over again he would have been more careful with his health. Unfortunately years of smoking five packs of Camel cigarettes a day for several years did their damage ultimately causing damage to his throat. He quit smoking during the mid-1970s and passed away from cancer on December 14, 1985.

Maris won consecutive MVP awards in 1960 and 1961 and his defensive play is often overlooked in evaluating his qualifications for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, politics often plays a part as to who is elected and Maris was never one to be a self-promoter. It irritates me to know that when Mark McGuire broke Maris's home run record when he knew he was on steroids he still had the audacity to go to the box seats in St. Louis to hug members of the Maris family knowing he had passed Maris illegally.

I especially enjoyed reading this book because the year 1961 has special memories for me since my Detroit Tigers were a significant part of the pennant race that year. Maris never intended to denigrate Babe Ruth, but obviously he would want the record. The problem among Yankee fans was if anyone was to break the Babe's record (and they weren't sure anyone should) the wrong man was breaking it. They believed it should have been Mantle and not this interloper from North Dakota.

Whether you remember these historic years from the 1960s or not any self-respecting baseball fan needs this book in their library.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A regular guy chases the legendary Babe, May 1, 2010

By	Jack (Doylestown, Pa.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Roger Maris: Baseball's Reluctant Hero (Hardcover)

All of the previous reviewers are correct in their assertions that this is an excellent book. The research is flawless and the story is well told. Those of us who are old enough to have witnessed this chase will be thrilled to re-live the day to day struggle that Roger endured. Younger readers, I think, will be amazed that such a simple, honest man was able to fight off the pressures of an out of control media (all the time acting as if breaking Babe's record was a sacrilege) to set what we now know in the post-steroid world was the true single season home run record.

What makes the book for me is the honest portrayal of Roger, a family man from North Dakota who rented an apartment with The Mick and Bob Cerv for $251 a month. Humble to the core, Roger slept on the couch in the apartment. That couch probably felt like sleeping in heaven after Roger, with no protection from the Yankees management, had to contend with the endless questions of reporters who acted as if they were running the show. Maris played baseball well in all facets of the game, and he played hard whether he was injured or not. He was old school and didn't think he was different than any other working American, he wouldn't have fit in well with today's player's who view themselves as royalty and make us reach for credit cards to get into the game. So sad that cancer took Roger at 51, but you'll love reading about his moments of redemption playing for the Cards in the 1967 World Series. The guy the Yankees gave up on batted .385 and helped the Cards defeat the Red Sox. Sweet revenge for a great man. Believe me, there are dozens of other stories like the one's I have outlined, all of which make for a book that is almost as perfect as Roger's short, sweet, powerful swing.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Research that Makes the Case for Maris, May 2, 2010

By	CJA "CJA" (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)

This review is from: Roger Maris: Baseball's Reluctant Hero (Hardcover)

This is an exceptionally well researched biography that argues for recognition of Maris as Mantle's equal and, more importantly, for recognition of Maris as a man who was grievously wronged by the New York press and fans.

As for the former, the authors argue, not quite convincingly, that Maris was Mantle's statistical equal during the period 1960-64. This is true so far as RBIs and HRs are concerned, but Mantle absolutely kills Maris in OPS, the statistical measure commonly accepted as the best measure of overall hitting (sums up on base percentage and slugging percentage). More convincing is that Maris had qualities that do not show up in the boxscore. He combined the clutch hitting of Matsui, the power of A-Rod, and the defense, baserunning, and baseball instincts of Jeter. There's a lot to be said for this, and the authors do a great job of marshalling the testimony of teammates in support of Maris' value as an all around unselfish player dedicated to winning. Even as a 8 year-old kid watching Maris in 1965 and 1966 I could see this -- he made impossible sliding catches in right and had the same larger-than-life quality that Mantle had.

The authors know and love baseball and do a terrific job describing Maris' technique in becoming a dead pull hitter to maximize his power, his ability to break up double plays, and his absolute dedication to winning. They rescue Maris from the charge by Bouton and others that he "dogged" it. The only time he did not run all out was when Houk ordered him to so as to preserve his legs. And the authors are convincing is showing that Maris had better baseball instincts than Mantle, who made a lot of mental errors.

Of equal interest is why Maris was so mistreated in New York. Part of it was Maris' own personality. The authors describe a strange family dynamic that made Maris prone to shut out those who he felt wronged him. Maris could be the greatest and most supportive friend there was, but if you crossed him or betrayed him he would cut you off. Given the aggressiveness of the press, everyone was going to cross Maris at some point. Maris took it too personally. But it is clear that the press was unfair in its criticisms of Maris, and at least on of the reporters admits as much to the authors. Also, the Yankee brass gave Maris no protection. And Ralph Houk's reputation really suffers, given his decision to hide the extent of Maris' hand injury from Maris and the press, which were after Maris for malingering.

The description of the 1961 season is excellent. Maris truly excelled against all odds. Everyone wanted him to fail, yet he mustered on and got the job done under incredible pressure.

The authors support Maris for the Hall of Fame. Under conventional measures he does not qualify. But I think these conventional measures are ridiculous and emphasize longevity and stats over all else. For me, if a guy is one of the best 5 or so players in baseball for 5 years, he should be in the Hall. Careers are short -- why do we value a 20 year measure over what someone does at the top of his game? By this measure, Maris, Oliva, Mattingly, and Rice all go the Hall. Last year they put Rice in, so maybe there will be justice for the others.

On the downside, the book is not particularly well written and other than the 1961 chapter, the narrative could use a bit more life.

On the whole, an excellent work that captures the true Maris.