1961 and MLB

[Marshal Dan Troop 70448]

Except for the Cubs finally winning the World Series, I haven't felt the excitement in baseball as much as 1961 and the M&M boys HR record competition.  Each day going home and checking  the back page of the  Chicago Sun Times, with only Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle current Home Runs being the only thing filling the back page. It was the first thing discussed at school, and even in class many of the teachers would talk about the current HRs and who was ahead.

There was excitement, and we paid no attention to the negatives that many sportswriters wrote about Maris, one if anyone broke Babe Ruth's record it should be Mantle.

Afterwards, when records were broken with enhanced drugs, the excitement was gone. They meant little, though the game is still fun to watch, especially the pitching and defense of each game.

But there was a time, for me it was 1961 and the New York Yankees, and nothing has equaled that time since.  MT

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

Good stuff!  Thanks, Marshal.
 

 

[Rye Miles #13621]

I remember that well!! Great time for baseball!~ Mantle hit 54 homers that year and injured himself leaving it all up to Maris! Not to take anything away from Maris but it took him 8 more games to break Ruth's record. Ruth's was in 154 game season, in 1961 they were playing 162. It was still an exciting time!!

 

Thanks for posting that!

[Marshal Dan Troop 70448]

5 minutes ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

I remember that well!! Great time for baseball!~ Mantle hit 59 homers that year! If I remember right , not to take anyhting away fro Maris but it took him 4 more games to break Ruth's record. Ruth's was in 154 game season, I'm pretty sure in 1961 they were playing 162. It was still an exciting time!!

 

Thanks for posting that!

It was also an era when healthy or hurt, they played.  An umpire during the race tells a story were when Mantle came up to bat and saw that he was limping and there were blood stains on his jersey. Umpire asked if he was sure he wanted to continue, and Mantle said sure. After his bat hit the ball and Mantle took off for first, limping, saw that the outfielder was getting close to the ball took off running and made it to 2nd base. The shortstop said he could see the pain in his face. But Mantle never asked to be pulled, pain or not. He loved the game to much to give up. There are many stories of other players that played injured. It was baseball, and a time were players also worked outside jobs during off season. Salaries were not as huge as today.  MT

[J-BAR #18287]

Not to take anything away from Maris, Mantle, and the Yankees, but there have been exciting moments since1961 for me.  Like my kids meeting Nolan Ryan in spring training during a trip to Florida in 1988:

 

 

 

 

 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

A man and his dog walk into a talent agent's office and the man say's, "You've got to see this, I have a talking Dog!"

 

Skeptical, the talent agent says, "Yeah sure, show me."

 

The man says to his dog, "Hey Spike, what's sandpaper feel like?" The dog says, "Rrrruff!"

Then the man says, "Hey Spike, what goes on top of a house?" The dog says, "Rrrroof!"

 

Now the talent agent is getting annoyed and threatens to throw them out, so the man says, "Wait, wait, we got a good one."

 

"Hey Spike, who's the greatest baseball player of all time?" The dog says, "Rrrrooth!"

 

Having had enough, the agent kicks them out the door. As they walk away, the dog says to the man, "Gee, do you think I should have said DiMaggio?"

 

[Marshal Dan Troop 70448]

2 hours ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

Not to take anything away from Maris, Mantle, and the Yankees, but there have been exciting moments since1961 for me.  Like my kids meeting Nolan Ryan in spring training during a trip to Florida in 1988:

 

 

 

 

 

Nolan Ryan is an exceptional person. He owned part of the land across from an Amoco sub station terminal in Alvin, extension of the Brownsville plant. Many times he would and could be seen riding the fence line and stop and talk. I still have a ball he signed for me as have probable many other Amoco employees which he signed for.  MT

[Nasty Newt # 7365]

'61 was a fun time.  I was 13 that summer and lived and breathed baseball.  And from the picture of Nolan Ryan you can see that in 1988 players still knew how to put on their pants.

[Snake River Clay SASS #34984]

I was six. That year I switched from a Boston fan to the Yankees. A lot less heartache over the years.