Roger Maris deserves to be in the Hall of Fame
In professional sports, one standard of greatness is induction into the Hall of Fame for that sport.
An athlete inducted into the Hall of Fame is considered to be one of the elite to have played their respective sport.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame, located in Cooperstown, N.Y., honors those who have excelled in playing, managing and serving the sport of baseball.
Currently, baseball players can be inducted into the Hall of Fame through election by either the Baseball Writers Association of America, or by the Veterans’ Committee, which is comprised mostly of living Hall of Famers.
The BBWAA has a certain process it uses to select players for induction into the Hall.
The Veterans’ Committee can select players not elected by the BBWAA, within 20 years after they no longer play.
This committee has criteria for election of players to the Hall that states, “Voting shall be based upon the individual’s record, ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contribution to the game.”
There is one baseball player that I feel meets and far exceeds these criteria, yet he is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame. This man is Roger Maris, who is famous for breaking Babe Ruth’s single season home run record.
Maris was born in Hibbing, Minn., Sept. 10, 1934. His family moved to North Dakota in 1942. Maris attended Shanley High School in Fargo, where he excelled in football, basketball, track and baseball.
After high school, Maris originally planned to attend the University of Oklahoma on a football scholarship, but instead he signed a $15,000 baseball contract with the Cleveland Indians.
He played in the minor leagues with five different teams, including Fargo-Moorhead, over the course of four years.
Maris eventually played in the major leagues with Cleveland and Kansas City, before being traded to the New York Yankees after the 1959 season.
During the 1961 season, Maris made his place in baseball history by hitting 61 home runs. This amazing feat broke Babe Ruth’s single season home run record.
Maris played seven seasons with the Yankees before finishing his career with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Based on the Veterans Committee criteria for selecting players, I feel that Maris is worthy of induction to the Hall. His numbers are comparable to many legendary players that are in the Hall of Fame.
Maris won consecutive American League Most Valuable Player awards in 1960 and 1961. Only 11 players have accomplished this feat. All of these who are eligible, except Maris, have been inducted into the Hall.
Maris’ lifetime home run average (5.39) is better than Joe DiMaggio’s (5.29) and that of Johny Bench (5.08).
Maris has a lifetime fielding average of .983, which is equal to or better than most Hall of Famers, including Hank Aaron (.983) and Babe Ruth (.968).
Maris also received the Gold Glove award, which is given for superb defensive play. He also played in seven All-Star games.
These numbers tend to speak for themselves. Yet, I feel that Roger Maris’ legacy is defined by his accomplishments as a person off the field.
After being diagnosed with lymphatic cancer in 1983, he organized the Roger Maris Celebrity Golf Tournament to raise money for cancer research and treatment. The Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo is named in his honor.
Roger Maris passed away in December 1985.
I feel that the Veterans’ Committee should do what is right and induct Roger Maris into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Columnists' opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of The Spectrum