in full Roger Eugene Maris
born Sept. 10, 1934, Hibbing, Minn., U.S.
died Dec. 14, 1985, Houston, Texas
U.S. baseball player.
Maris's family moved from Minnesota to North Dakota when he was 10, and there he excelled in high school sports, playing American Legion baseball in Fargo in the summer. An outfielder and left-handed hitter, he played for the Cleveland Indians, the New York Yankees, and the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1961 his one-season total of 61 home runs broke Babe Ruth 's long-standing record of 60, edging out his Yankee teammate Mickey Mantle . Maris's record stood until 1998, when it was broken by Mark McGwire 's 70 and Sammy Sosa 's 66. See also Barry Bonds .