OPINION: Sports: The incredible season of Judge

Sep. 30—For more than century, the holder of the American League single season home run record has worn a New York Yankees' uniform.

The Yanks were first represented at the top by Babe Ruth when he clubbed an incredible 54 in 1920. Then, his 1927 total of 60 became his career high and remained the benchmark for major league baseball for 34 years.

The stage was set for a change, when in 1960, Roger Maris, a young man with a crew cut and a career high of 19 round-trippers was traded to the Yanks. In his first season wearing the pinstripes, he hit 39, and drove in 114 runs, good enough to earn him the American League MVP award. As good as that season was, it did nothing to prepare the baseball world for the frenzy he would create in 61.

On April 11, 1961, opening day, Maris strolled to the plate three times with no hits. A week went by, still no homer. Finally on April 26, a Maris poke reached the seats. Six days later, 17 games into the season, Maris clubbed his second off Pedro Ramos.

Maris didn't start raising many eyebrows until the end or May, when he struck two against the Boston Red Sox and went on a tear. By June 22, he had 27 homers and the relentless pursuit of the Babe was taking form. When Maris finally passed Ruth's mark, the record went in the books with an asterisk designating that he had accomplished it in a 162 game season, rather than the 154 games played in Ruth's era. So technically, the Yanks had two single season home run kings.

The following year, Maris cooled back down to mere mortal status. He never again hit more than 33 home runs in a season and his career concluded with just 275 four-baggers. The 1961 circus that followed Maris' assault on the record took its toll on the humble man from Montana.

Teammate Clete Boyer, who was Roger's roommate said the pressure was such that he could see bald spots appearing in the slugger's hair. When asked later what the home run record race had brought him.

"Absolutely nothing," was the reply.

Since that 61 season, six decades of baseball have flown by. The National League produced the 1998 race for the record, when Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa each belted more than Roger's total. Then in 2001, Barry Bonds smashed 73 which left the Maris, Ruth numbers in the dust.

But we later found out those new records were tainted by steroid use.

This year, a third Yankee took aim at the American League home run record. Aaron James Judge, a huge, 6 feet 7 inch, Yank, patrolling Maris' old spot in right field, has put together an awesome season. Judge burst on the scene in a big way in 2017, smashing 52 home runs, but in 2021, he hit just 39, the same number as Maris in the year before the historic summer of 61. But this year, Judge started to make some noise. He popped six in April, then followed that up with 12 in May. By July, his pace had people thinking record.

The media, which can turn anything into a circus has been keeping us up to date, daily about his progress in pursuing the homer mark. They even broke in on the football game I was watching last week to show Judge at the plate. He struck out at the plate on fourth and one, or something like that. Finally, on Wednesday, the Yankees 155th game of the season, Judge slapped his 61st into the delirious Yankee Stadium crowd. Judge is now on top of the world and at age 30, may again assault the record books. He can also celebrate all the way to the bank. Word is, Judge was offered a 7-year, $213.5 million contract before the season began. He turned it down, thinking he could do better. Good bet.

Maris also got a big raise after hitting 61. In 62, his salary went from $32,000 to $70,000.