The 1961 Banty Red baseball card of New York Yankees outfielder Roger Maris holds a special place in the history of the sport and in the collections of many card collectors. That season, Maris went on to break Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record of 60, capturing the attention of the nation and cementing his place as one of baseball’s all-time great sluggers. The Banty Red card produced during that iconic season provides a glimpse into Maris’ career year and the excitement surrounding his record chase.
Banty Red was a brand of small, rectangular cardboard trading cards produced by the Banty Trading Card Company in the early 1960s. Standing out from the traditional large baseball cards of the time in their unique size and design, Banty Reds featured color photographs on one side and player stats and career highlights on the reverse. The 1961 Banty Red set included cards for over 200 major league players and managers from that season.
The card features a full-body color photo of Maris at bat, swinging hard with his trademark uppercut swing. He is shown wearing his pinstripe Yankees road jersey with number 9 on the back, the number he took over from Mickey Mantle that season. On the reverse, Maris’ stats from 1960 are listed when he hit 33 home runs, as well as career highlights up to that point such as being named American League Rookie of the Year in 1956 with the Kansas City Athletics.
What makes the 1961 Banty Red Maris card particularly notable is that it captures him during his record-setting season before he achieved baseball immortality. When the cards were produced and distributed that spring, Maris was among the favorites to challenge Ruth’s hallowed single-season home run record but had not yet broken it. The back of the card does not list his 1961 stats or acknowledge his record, as the season had not been completed when the set was printed.
Card collectors at the time did not realize they held in their hands a piece of cardboard documenting one of the most iconic individual performances in baseball history before it had even happened. As Maris went on to hit his 61st home run on October 1st to break Ruth’s record, the Banty Red card became a valuable piece of the story chronicling that historic season. Although mass produced, examples in near mint condition today are highly sought after by collectors interested in that pivotal time in baseball.
The pursuit of Ruth’s record in 1961 captivated sports fans across the country. Maris endured intense pressure and criticism from those who felt Ruth’s record should not be broken or that hitting more than 60 home runs in a season was somehow impossible or tainted. All the while, Maris steadily homered his way toward and past Ruth’s hallowed standard, with millions following his every at-bat on radio and television broadcasts. Breaking the record ranks as one of the greatest individual athletic achievements in American sports history.
Adding to the significance of the 1961 Banty Red Maris card is the context of his career and life. After winning Rookie of the Year honors, Maris struggled with injuries over the next few seasons and never quite lived up to his potential with the Athletics. The Yankees acquired him hoping a change of scenery might rejuvenate his career. His record-breaking 1961 campaign was the best of his career, as he proved any doubters wrong with his amazing power surge. Tragically, Maris battled illnesses later in life and passed away from lymphoma in 1985 at the young age of 51.
For collectors, the Banty Red Maris card preserves a snapshot of him at the absolute peak of his abilities, when he was the most talked about athlete in the country and in the midst of etching his name permanently in baseball lore. Holding a card from his record-setting 1961 Topps set is a thrill, but the Banty Red may be even more intriguing as it shows Maris before he accomplished his place in history. Nearly six decades later, the card continues to transport collectors back to a pivotal time in baseball and allow them to relive Maris’ unforgettable season through the simple imagery on a piece of cardboard.
In the over 60 years since that iconic 1961 campaign, Roger Maris’ single-season home run record of 61 has only been bested once, when Barry Bonds hit 73 in 2001. The debate over whether feats accomplished in the “Steroid Era” should hold the same esteem still rages today among fans and analysts. Either way, what Maris achieved that year enduring intense pressures remains one of the purest and most impressive individual performances in baseball history. His 1961 Banty Red card captures that historic season like no other, making it a true treasure for collectors with its connection to one of the sport’s most hallowed records.
