Could Gehrig have handled the pressure?

[the 'stache]

If you've ever watched the movie 61*, Raymond, you'd remember that the reporters were asking Maris before the start of the 1961 season if he was going after Babe Ruth's single season home run record. He was, of course, the MVP in 1960, but Maris had slumped terribly after the All Star Break.

Through July 10, 1960 (72 games), Maris hit .320 with 27 home runs and 69 RBI in 269 ABs. His OPS pre-break was 1.101. That's where he won the MVP.

The All Star Game was on July 11th.

The second half of the '60 season, July 15th to October 2nd, 64 games, Maris hit .239 with 12 home runs and 43 RBI. His OPS was .777.

I would assume that new Yankee Manager Ralph Houk put Maris lower in the lineup to start the '61 season in order to ease him into it, and try to take some of the pressure off of him, knowing full well the terrible slump he experienced in the second half of the 1960 season.

It didn't work. Though the stress would visibly take a toll on him, Maris performed best on the field when the pressure was on him.

Through May 17th, 29 games into the 1961 season, with Maris having batted 3rd, 5th and 7th in the lineup at different times, he was hitting a paltry .218 with 4 home runs and 13 RBI. He had a .703 OPS. When you combine that cold stretch with the end of his 1960 season, as of May 17th, his prior 93 games, a total of 331 at bats, Maris hit .233 with 16 home runs and 56 RBI. Hardly MVP-like.

But consider then what he did going forward. On May 19th, Roger Maris hit a home run in the first of three consecutive games. It was the start of what I consider the greatest power display in baseball history.

In his final 131 games, Roger Maris would be walked 74 times. He would hit .280. He would hit 14 doubles. Good numbers.

In 489 at bats from May 19th until the end of the 1961 season, Roger Maris would hit 57 home runs, and drive in 128 runs!

128 RBI in 132 games. And a home run every 8.58 at bats.

In 1927, when Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs, he did it in 540 at bats. That's a home run every 9 at bats. Maris beat that rate by nearly a half at bat.

But the most impressive statistic, if you ask me, about his entire 1961 season, is his strikeout rate. He struck out 67 times the entire season, against 61 home runs. But during "the run" I just mentioned, Maris hit 58 home runs, and only struck out 55 times.

Another remarkable statistic is his home run splits. He hit 30 home runs at Yankee Stadium in 1961. He hit 31 on the road.
His OPS at home was 1.001.
His road OPS was .986.
He struck out 31 times in 280 at bats at home.
He struck out 36 times in 319 at bats on the road.

Maris was consistent no matter where he played. He could hit the ball out of any park in the Majors, and he did.