Roger Maris Baseball’s Reluctant Hero
Roger Maris Baseball’s Reluctant Hero by Tom Clavin is an illustrated biography published by Atria Books on May 10, 2011. This 448-page book chronicles the life and career of Roger Maris, often regarded as baseball’s “natural home run king.” The authors, Clavin and Danny Peary, delve into Maris’s journey from his childhood in Fargo to his remarkable 1961 season, where he outperformed teammate Mickey Mantle to set a home run record. The narrative highlights Maris’s struggles with public perception and media scrutiny, providing a comprehensive look at a player who has often been overlooked in baseball history.
Readers will find a detailed exploration of Maris’s experiences, including his time with the Cleveland Indians and his World Series victories with the New York Yankees. The book features insights from over 130 interviews with Maris’s teammates, opponents, and family, offering a multifaceted view of his life. Additionally, it includes sixteen pages of photographs, some previously unseen, that enhance the understanding of Maris’s impact on the sport. This biography not only recounts the challenges Maris faced but also emphasizes his eventual redemption and lasting significance in baseball’s rich history.
Official synopsis Publisher
Tom Clavin and Danny Peary chronicle the life and career of baseball’s “natural home run king” in the first definitive biography of Roger Maris—including a brand-new chapter to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of his record breaking season.
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 sixteen 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.
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