Roger Maris was an American professional baseball right fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees between 1957 and 1968. Maris is best known for breaking Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record in 1961 by hitting 61 home runs for the Yankees in his record-setting season. The attention, controversy, and pressure surrounding Maris’ pursuit and breaking of Ruth’s long-standing record helped build his profile and made him one of the most well-known players of the 1960s. This fame and notoriety led to Maris being prominently featured on numerous baseball cards during his playing career with the Indians and Yankees.
Some of the earliest baseball cards to feature Roger Maris date back to his rookie season with the Cleveland Indians in 1957. That year, Maris was included in the 1957 Topps set, sporting his Cleveland uniform on card #424. The 1957 Topps card was Maris’ rookie card and the first card to bear his image. The card captured Maris early in his career before his trade to the Yankees and prior to his record-setting 1961 season. The 1957 Topps Roger Maris rookie card remains one of the most sought-after and valuable baseball cards from the 1950s, often fetching thousands of dollars graded in near-mint to mint condition due to its significance as Maris’ first card.
In 1959, the year Maris was traded midseason from Cleveland to the New York Yankees, he was featured in cards from two different sets wearing uniforms from both teams. Maris’ 1959 Topps card pictured him as an Indian on card #350 while his 1959 Post card showed him as a New York Yankee for the first time on card #308. These dual-team cards reflected Maris’ unusual season split between the Indians and Yankees clubs. They also helped spread Maris’ name and likeness to a wider card-collecting audience just as his career was taking off in its new location in New York. By 1959, Maris was already establishing himself as a rising star slugger worth following on baseball cards.
Of course, it was Roger Maris’ record-setting 1961 season with the Yankees that catapulted him into the national spotlight and truly cemented his place in baseball card history and popularity. Maris’ pursuit of Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record that year generated daily sports headlines. Not surprisingly, Maris was prominently featured and in high demand on 1961 card releases from the major baseball card companies to capitalize on the hype surrounding his record chase. Some of the most notable 1961 Roger Maris cards included his cards from Topps (#130), Post (#151), and Fleer (#6). These cards prominently reminded collectors of Maris’ pursuit of history that season.
In the 1962 baseball card offerings, Maris continued to be one of the most recognizable players as the reigning single-season home run king. Topps led the way cementing Maris’ place in their 1962 set by featuring him on two different cards. The standard Maris card showed him in a Yankees uniform as usual on card #130, but Topps also included a special cardboard bonus photo of Maris from 1961 celebrating his home run record on card #130A, distributed one per pack. Other 1962 cards featuring Maris included issues from Post and Fleer, all capitalizing off his newfound fame. The enduring interest in Maris’ 1961 season ensured he would remain a prevalent sight in the coming years’ card releases.
Throughout the rest of the 1960s, Roger Maris continued drawing card maker attention as he remained one of the game’s top sluggers for the Yankees. After some injury-plagued seasons, Maris enjoyed a late-career power surge in 1964 that resulted in him hitting a career-high 33 home runs. This power resurgence led to Maris being named Player of the Month for July 1964. Topps commemorated this achievement by devoting card #582 in their 1964 set to recognizing Maris’ July honors. Many subsequent mid-60s card issues from Topps, Post, and Fleer also showcased Maris, reminding fans of his enduring hero status in New York. Even after his playing career ended in 1967, Maris remained sufficiently notable to get cards in 1968 rookie/returned sets from Dick’s and SSPC to look back on his career accomplishments.
In 1969, Roger Maris’ legacy and single-season home run record were threatened when St. Louis Cardinals’ slugger Harmon Killebrew and Atlanta Braves’ star Hank Aaron both threatened to pass Maris’ all-time mark that season. Undoubtedly aware of the potential interest it could generate, Topps produced a special “Record Potential” card (#132) devoted entirely to Maris’ iconic 1961 season and entrenched spot at the top of the single-season home run list. Predictably, Aaron would go on to surpass Maris’ hallowed record in 1974. After retirement, Roger Maris enjoyed a nice run of presence on vintage tobacco and other baseball cards through the 1970s and 1980s for baseball card investors to look back fondly on his outstanding Yankee career and place in history.
In the modern era, Maris has continued finding frequent representation in various premium, high-end, and limited-print card sets. Examples include cards devoted to his historic 1961 season found in Topps Archives, Topps Heritage, and Bowman Best memorabilia and autographed card parallels. In 2006, Upper Deck released the prestigious “American Pride” subset featuring prime American sports heroes like Maris and paying homage to memorable career moments. And Topps’ annual Mini Roger Maris Day cards help propagate Maris’ legacy for younger collectors each year on August 12th. As Maris’ single-season home run record from 1961 remains one of the most hallowed in sports, and as a key member of one of the greatest Yankees dynasties, the slugger continues captivating collectors nearly 60 years since the start of his superstar baseball card journey.
In closing, Roger Maris’ single most prolific and unforgettable season in 1961 cemented his legacy as one of the all-time Yankee greats and greatest pure sluggers in MLB history. The unique attention, pressure, history, and controversy surrounding Maris that year helped raise his fame and prominence to new heights and secure his placement in baseball history books. Naturally, this made Roger Maris one of the most collectible and cherished players memorably featured across many memorable vintage and modern-era baseball cards tracking his career rise. From his earliest 1957 Topps rookie card through various vintage tobacco issues and into modern-day premium releases, Maris enduring appeal ensures his baseball cards will remain synonymous with his iconic 1961 season and Yankee tenure for generations of collectors to enjoy.
