THAT TIME MARIS SURPASSED RUTH

Roger Maris's journey to breaking Babe Ruth's single-season home run record in 1961 was a feat laden with immense pressure, stress, and public scrutiny. His achievement of hitting 61 home runs in a single season came with a significant personal toll, as well as a polarized reception from fans, the media, and even figures within Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Yankees organization.  The pressure of the 1961 season was immense for Maris. As he approached Babe Ruth's iconic record of 60 home runs set in 1927, the stress manifested physically and emotionally. 

According to various accounts, Maris began to exhibit signs of extreme stress, including smoking more heavily and experiencing hair loss. Bob Costas, a renowned sportscaster, highlighted Maris's struggles, noting, "Maris’s hair started falling out in clumps during the stress-filled season".

Maris faced a considerable backlash from fans who revered Babe Ruth. Many were not ready to see Ruth's record surpassed, particularly by Maris, who was perceived as an outsider compared to the more popular Mickey Mantle. The tension was palpable, with fans booing Maris at home games and even sending hate mail. The New York Times reported that fans were particularly harsh, with some sending him threatening letters.

The reaction from Babe Ruth's family was mixed. Julia Ruth Stevens, Babe Ruth's daughter, expressed a bittersweet sentiment. In an interview, she acknowledged the significance of Maris's achievement but also the emotional attachment to her father's record. She said, "It was Dad’s record, and we were proud of it. But Roger deserved to be recognized for his great season."

Figures within Major League Baseball and the Yankees organization had varied reactions to Maris's pursuit and eventual breaking of the record. Ford Frick, the MLB Commissioner at the time, controversially declared that Maris's record would be marked with an asterisk if he did not surpass Ruth's record within the first 154 games of the season, as Ruth's record was set during a 154-game season, while Maris's was during a 162-game season . This decision added to the pressure and controversy surrounding Maris's achievement.

Mickey Mantle was a notable source of support. Despite the media playing up a rivalry between the two, Mantle openly supported Maris. In a documented quote, Mantle said, "Roger was a great player and deserved everything he got. I was rooting for him to break the record" .

Other players to speak out were Yogi Berra, "What Roger did was unbelievable. He worked hard and handled the pressure better than anyone could have expected."

Whitey Ford, and Al Kaline also spoke out in support of Roger. Whitey said, "Roger's accomplishment is a testament to his dedication and skill. It was an honor to be his teammate during this historic season."  Kaline said, "Breaking Ruth’s record is a monumental achievement. Roger showed tremendous courage and perseverance."

After breaking the record on October 1, 1961, Maris's feelings were complex. In various interviews, he expressed relief more than elation. Maris once stated, "It would have been a hell of a lot more fun if I had not hit those 61 home runs. All it brought me was headaches" . This sentiment highlights the toll the pursuit took on him and reflects the broader challenges he faced.

Roger Maris's breaking of Babe Ruth's single-season home run record stands as a monumental achievement in baseball history. However, the journey to 61 home runs was fraught with stress, public scrutiny, and a mixed legacy. Despite the challenges, Maris's accomplishment remains a testament to his resilience and talent, marking an indelible chapter in the annals of Major League Baseball. And finally, as you all know, in 2022, Aaron Judge did the unthinkable, breaking Roger's record of 61 home runs with a new number... 62. 

Judge said of the feat: "Breaking Roger Maris's record is an incredible honor. I have immense respect for what he accomplished and the challenges he faced. To be mentioned alongside him is something I'll cherish forever."

--Alvin Izzo
BYB Yankee History Contributor

R.I.P. TO AL KALINE & VERLANDER STILL CAN'T GET A BREAK

When someone passes, it's important to give your respects, be it to the family, to friends of the deceased or just to let the world know how much you appreciated the person.  I for one can tell you that I met Al Kaline and he was a sweet man.

Nice, conversational and older when I met him. But I still liked the moment we had together. And sadly,  I can tell you that it's very sad to hear of his passing.  The Detroit Free Press has this:

"Al Kaline, who in a long and unique Detroit Tigers lifetime grew from youthful batting champion to Hall of Famer to distinguished elder statesman, died Monday afternoon at his home in Bloomfield Hills. He was 85.

A cause of death was not immediately available. John Morad, a close friend of the family, confirmed the news to the Free Press after speaking with Kaline's younger son, Mike.

His health had been declining over the past year. Kaline is survived by another son, Mark, and his wife, Madge Louise Hamilton."

Justin Verlander, a member of the 2017 cheating Houston Astros commented about Mr. Kaline's passing. After all, Verlander was a member of the Tigers too and had fond things to say about him.

But Verlander was crucified on Twitter, even though he did the right thing and paid his respects publicly.

Such a kind and generous man who meant so much to so many. I hope you knew how much I enjoyed our conversations about baseball, life, or just giving each other a hard time. I am honored to have been able to call you my friend for all these years. R.I.P. Mr Tiger, Al Kaline.

— Justin Verlander (@JustinVerlander) April 6, 2020

Do I side with Verlander as he grieves for Mr. Kaline?

100%.  I get it and respect it.

Do I feel bad about the anger coming Justin's way after the Astros Cheating Scandal? No. I don't feel bad about that.  Bad things come back to bite bad people in the ass. Justin Verlander was one of the most outspoken players when it came to cheating when he was with the Detroit Tigers.

He's said NOTHING since coming over to the Cheating Astros. Anger should be going his way for the rest of his playing days.  He's tainted.

But enough about that.  To the Kaline family. Prayers go your way.  To the Detroit fans, a Yankee fan from the Bronx is letting you know that I stand by you today.

Rest in Peace #6.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: FRITZ PETERSON

It's always an honor for me to meet and interview members of the Yankees family. It's especially great when it's an accomplished pitcher like Fritz Peterson. Fritz Peterson was a starting pitcher for the Yankees during a mediocre time in Yankees history, from 1966 to 1974, before being traded to the Cleveland Indians. He holds the distinction of having the lowest career ERA pitching at the old Yankees Stadium (2.52), and he pitched the final game there before renovations began.

Bleeding Yankee Blue had a chance to sit down and talk to him on his recent trip to New York. We proudly present our exclusive interview with Fritz Peterson. 

BYB: We want to thank you for taking the time to talk to us. Tell us about your book “When the Yankees Were on the Fritz: Revisiting the Horace Clarke Years.” What is it about, what do you hope to accomplish through it, and what do you want to share?

Fritz Peterson: Sure. In my first book, I wanted to get some stuff cleared up about our “situation” [quotes mine]. I touched on a bunch of players that I really thought a lot about. I made it “Mickey Mantle Is Going to Heaven”. But it wasn’t a serious book. It was just to get it out there in case I died of prostate cancer which I was on the verge of doing at the time. At least I said some things that I wanted off my chest. But I wanted to do a serious book. I talk about my years with the Yankees, each one of them. One through nine - I call them innings, every year. Doing it [that way] brought back a whole bunch of memories about players that I remembered through those days. They taught me a lesson in that I didn’t know how baseball worked, I didn’t know that baseball was a real business - I thought it was a game. I found out when my first best friend there got released.

Then I go into a little bit about my family stuff, got through all those things, then had to transition through the marriage situation in 1972. The last chapter has to do with all the players that I played with, that I remember seeing in uniform in 1974. It has a lot of personal things in it, it has a lot of things that people have been commenting that they didn’t know that this was what happened in baseball.

BYB: You touched on your nine “innings”, but then in 1974 you were traded to the Cleveland Indians. What was that like and what do you remember most about changing clubs?

Fritz Peterson: I knew it was coming, but I didn’t know it was to Cleveland. But because that year I was the fifth starter, and I was starting to develop some arm problems, and at the beginning of the season you don’t play as many games. I wasn’t in the starting rotation at the start. I knew I was going somewhere. So I asked [Yankees General Manager] Gabe Paul. I said, “Gabe, I know you’re trying to trade me, but I just want you to know two things. I don’t mind because that’s baseball. But I won’t go to the Philadelphia Phillies or the Cleveland Indians.” He patted me on the back and said “Don’t worry, young man. We wouldn’t do that to you”. So two weeks later I’m on a plane with three other teammates and we’re heading to Cleveland. Bill Virdon had called us into his office and told the four of us [Peterson, Fred Beene, Tom Buskey and Steve Kline] that there’s been a trade. They were pissed. We were four people that they liked. That’s 40% of our pitching staff going for guys that they didn’t really pay much attention to. It turned to be a really good trade for the Yankees [ed. note: the Yankees got Chris Chambliss, Dick Tidrow, and Cecil Upshaw]. I remember us looking at each other on the plane going from LaGuardia to Cleveland, the four of us at about 8 o’clock in the morning, wondering what happened. We get there to Cleveland and there’s our old buddy John Ellis, one of my favorites from the Yankees, waiting for us to pick us up and bring us to the hotel. Cleveland was an odd feeling, but Cleveland was fun for a while.

BYB: You mentioned some of your teammates. Who was your favorite teammate and why?

Fritz Peterson: My favorite at the beginning was Jim Bouton. He roomed with me and he actually gave me a chance to make that team in Spring Training in 1966. When I heard that, I’m thinking that here’s a big leaguer who’s been there and he’s saying “you have a chance to make this team.” I planned on going to the minors a few more years and when he said that, I really believed it. So we roomed together and we had a lot of really good times together. Crazy guy, good guy, you know. When he wrote the book, I purposely didn’t read it because I had friends on both sides. I didn’t want to take sides. I got it at home ready to bring to the nursing home when I go. Then obviously Mike Kekich was my best friend from 1969 to 1972 when our situation was going on. Mel Stottlemyre overall was the best, most consistent friend I had.

BYB: Do you ever keep in touch with the old players?

Fritz Peterson: No, no. The only one I keep in touch with is Mel Stottlemyre. But with his sickness now, he’s not well. I’m afraid to even see the newspapers because if I see his name I’m gonna think “Oh no.” We were there at the [Old Timer's] game, but we didn’t go in. I didn’t wanna go in. I didn’t want to see Mel like that.

BYB: In 1970 you went 20-11 - a 20-game winner - with a 2.90 ERA, you made the All-Star team, the team finished second in the American League. What was your greatest memory from that season with that team?

Fritz Peterson: I suppose it would have to be winning the 20th game on the last day of the season in Boston. They pushed me up one game ahead of Stan Bahnsen because I did have a chance to win the 20th game and it was the last day of the season. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have pitched. If it had rained, that game would have never been played because Boston and the Yankees were in the place they were going to be in the standings. We checked in to our hotel in Boston on the Friday of that weekend. The room that I was supposed to take was room 1912. Our traveling secretary had everything laying on the table, and I looked at that and I said there’s something wrong with that. If I had lost that game, that’s the record I would have had. Oddly enough, I said, “Bruce [Henry, 1970 Yankees traveling secretary], you gotta change that.” He said, “Why?” Then he looked and said “I know why”. So he did, and oddly enough, he got me 2011. Here I had 19 games and I didn’t know if I’d ever get to 20. I'm glad I figured that because I never did do that.

BYB: Every pitcher has one hitter they just hate facing. Who was that person for you?

Fritz Peterson: Those people were, in order fear, was Frank Howard. He was six feet nine inches, 300 pounds, and could fill a toilet in one sitting. I saw him hit a ball one time off Mel Stottlemyre, Mel threw him a sinker to keep it away from him. Frank hit it and it nearly hit his cap. It started going up, and up and up. It went out for a home run in center field. That was scary. It went up like a golf ball. So we learned that when we threw the ball to Frank, extra quick get your glove up for self-defense. Dick Allen later, was the second as far as scary. I’ve seen him hit some monsters. The best hitter I faced over my career was Al Kaline. That's because he never gave up. It could be 8-1 they’re losing and he still trying to get on base and start a big inning. I gotta tell you one little sidelight of that. When Duke Sims got traded to the Yankees, Al Kaline was about the end of his line. Duke had played with Al Kaline for a while and got to know him. Duke told me if you get a chance, could you let Al get a hit, like a bunt down third. Because if he gets on, it’s a base hit and they’ll take him right out of the game because that would make him an even .300 hitter. So I did and he did. They didn’t take him out for two more years. 

He got better there for a while because of the DH. The funny thing about that was Denny McLain, of course, was on Detroit, he had done the same thing for Mickey Mantle in grooving that home run pitch for him in 1968. So I thought, they did him a favor to Mickey, I’ll do Al a favor.

BYB: Baseball today is a lot different today than it was when you played. In what ways do you think the game got better and in what ways worse?

Fritz Peterson: I think it got worse lately because of the speed gun. All pitchers want to be dominant, macho strong men. They think now, when the emphasis on that is so much, even when they’re signing rookie pitchers, because lefties have to throw at least 93 and righties have to throw 96 before they’ll even sign them for anything. But when they get there finally, they know that they have relief pitchers we never had before. So they can let it all out. But they’re also letting it out looking at the scoreboard. What did I get? Did I get up to 97? In our day, they signed pitchers that were pitchers even then. They had good sinkers, they had good control, two or three pitches maybe. Now it’s completely different, it’s a power game. So, if you can throw hard, you can work off that. But I think there’s an over-emphasis on that, and I’m not sure it’s gonna last forever. These guys are dropping out with Tommy John surgery.

BYB: What do you think of pitch counts?

Fritz Peterson: I don’t like them. They’re so conditional. In the day, if we were going well and running a smooth ballgame, it didn’t really matter. We had a guy over there with the clicker, Jim Turner, but we never paid any attention to it. He was just doing a job. It didn’t matter. Now it matters a lot. It takes a little of the managerial stuff out of managing. When managers say “How are we doing?”. [pitchers say] “I wanna pitch, I wanna stay in.” Some of these guys are out of there before they knew [sic] what happened. All of a sudden, there’s an inning produced and they’re not in there. I think we should at least give a guy an out per inning. If he can’t get the first guy out, then bring in the relief pitcher. Not take him out because he threw too many pitches.

BYB: Tell me about Ralph Houk. He was a legendary manager. What was it like playing for him?

Fritz Peterson: It was wonderful. It was just like my own dad being there. Once you won a position with Ralph, you didn’t have to look over your shoulder or worry that if you made an error you were gonna lose your position. You could be yourself, throw good stuff because you were there and you knew you had a friend behind you. Being a major in the Army, he got people’s attention. I saw him grab a writer one time and raise him up on the wall because he wrote an article intimating the Yankees were having trouble. Ralph didn’t like that, so he grabbed him. It was Maury Allen. He had to set the record straight. The guys knew [Ralph] was right behind them, on their side.

BYB: You mentioned earlier about prostate cancer. It’s a big issue for men. Guys like Bob Watson are big advocates for early testing. My own father is a prostate cancer survivor. What would you like to say to that issue?

Fritz Peterson: Yes. There’s a movement going on now to do away with the testing, including the PSA, saying that even if you do treat, it’s about the same results as if you didn’t even know about it. For myself personally, I’m glad I did. I was one of those that if I didn’t have it taken care of, I would have been dead. I had that thought back in 2006 when they found it again. I envisioned what it would be like to not have another Christmas. It was a little peaceful, in a way, but when I found that I could make it again, I was happy again. It was almost a relief.

BYB: We are glad you are as well as you are, and we hope your treatments continue to work.

You mentioned about your “situation” a number of times during this interview. Is there anything you’d like to say, in general, about that.

Fritz Peterson: Sure. When Mike was traded to our team in 1969, he was Jim Bouten’s replacement for me. He was a fun guy. Mike and I were best friends, we roomed together on the road. Our families were the same age. He had 2 daughters, aged 5 and 2. I had 2 sons 5 and 2. We spent a lot of time,  just innocent times always, until the last part there. Then, getting to know the others’ spouse, I personally was never thinking of leaving mine. I wouldn’t do it, I wouldn’t consider it. But I thought he sure had it nice. His wife would let him stay at the ballpark, sign autographs. Mine, I had to come home the second the game was over, to be under her watch. He saw something in my wife, somebody pretty, who like to read and had college degrees. So something inside of us was building slowly. Until a night at Maury Allen’s house, in 1972, which was July 15. We were at a party at Maury’s, drinking beer and having hot dogs and hamburgers and stuff. Maybe we had a little too much drink, I’m not sure. It was sure fun. Mike’s wife Susan was sitting across from me, and he was sitting across from my wife Marilyn. I happened to touch Susan’s foot under the table. It didn’t bother her, but a little while later, I think she touched mine. After that, we touched each other’s foot more and more and we were drinking and stuff like that. After we were done at Maury’s, we decided to go home. On the way walking from the party to our cars,  I said to my wife Marilyn, why don’t you ride home with Mike, back to the Fort Lee Diner where we had both parked and met. I said to Mike, your wife Susan can come with me. We can just meet there. So we did and it was so much fun, at least in my instance talking to Susan, knowing that I didn’t have to be careful of what I said. She was such an easy-going, wonderful wife. With my wife, I had to say everything perfectly with her. Mike felt the same way about my wife as I did about his.

We got home and we met at the ballpark the next day. It was Sunday, and I said to Mike we should do that again, and he agreed. So we decided to do it again a couple of nights later, and this time we went to a steak and ale in Fort Lee, NJ. We met at the steak and ale and we all had a couple of drinks. Marilyn and Mike took off and then Susan and I just stayed there and ate and drank. We had a ball, an absolute blast. We all wanted to do it again, so we did it again the next available time. Then it became like, let’s do this all the time, so we did. It just became, wow, can this work? Mike was the first one to tell his wife that he loved Marilyn, my wife. I didn’t say that because I didn’t know yet, I was just one of the team. But we started then dating all the time.

At the end of the season, we didn’t want each other to leave. Mike and Susan were going to go off to Missoula, Montana. Marilyn and I were gonna go back to live and stay in New Jersey where we just built a house. It was tough to do. I was working in New Jersey, I was with John Sterling, who was with the New York Raiders hockey team. John was the play-by-play man, I was the color man. There was one night when we were going from Philadelphia to Boston, where my plane was so bad, it was one of those white-knucklers. I’m thinking you know what, I don’t even care if I die. Because Susan is gone, and I didn’t want to back to my wife, because I wanted to be with Susan. So when I got to Boston, I called Mike and I said Mike, you still wanna do this thing we’ve been talking about, switching families? He said yes. I said you arrange for Susan and your kids to come East to New Jersey, and I’ll send Marilyn and my boys out to you. That was it. Shortly after, my wife Marilyn called me and she said, I wanna come back. The poetry from Mike wore off, and she found out he didn’t have any degrees in college, and he was in debt and she wanted me back and I said I can’t come back. I’m gonna go be with Susan. It’s been her and I now for 41 years. They never did get married. They were both bull heads. I was hoping it would work out.

BYB: I am surprised by your response. I didn’t want to go there because I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable. You have a great history with the Yankees, as a player, and that’s what we were going to focus on. I am a little surprised that you’re as comfortable as you are, but we appreciate your candor.

Fritz Peterson: I appreciate you not wanting to do that. But I don’t care. I’ll tell anything now. The older I get, the more I don’t care.

BYB: How do you feel about social media?

Fritz Peterson: I’m just starting to get into that. I don’t really have much time, because mine is getting so extensive, my Facebook stuff. I almost have a full-time job doing that, and I feel like I gotta do that before I do anything. I’m not an English major, so there’s mistakes in it sometimes. I’m finding it fun and I’m practicing before I get Alzheimer’s, so I can remember everything [laughing]. I’m gonna start putting the word out [that] I would like to do commercials for nursing homes, because I wrote about that in the second book, and it was fun writing. I plan on pulling pranks on the people in the wheelchairs. They’re gonna have a hard time, but I’m going down hard!

BYB: Is there anything else you would like to say?

Fritz Peterson: Yeah. What do I have to do to get to the Old Timer’s Game? They don’t get to me quite often. Last time was 2006. I’d love to go to the Old Timer’s Game. I don’t even want you to make them look bad. I’d just love to go to that, and I just wish I went to more.

Again, we want to thank Fritz for sitting down and speaking with us. Fritz, you're a great conversationalist and a fun guy to be around. We wish you all the success in the world, great health, and that you accomplish all you set out to do.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

MIKE TROUT AIN'T MICKEY MANTLE... YET

Al Kaline was a great ballplayer and he played with the greats, but  in this world of basball where everyone wants the next big thing, comparing a kid to a Yankee legend in his first official season is just silly.  What is there to compare?

For the record let me state that I love Mike Trout and his talent is bound to bring him success in this great game of ball, but he hasn’t accomplished a thing yet.  Al Kaline was recently interviewed by the Detroit Free Press and in that interview with John Lowe (HERE), he said “He’s a strong guy, runs really well, power –he minds me alittle bit of a Mantle.” 

Look, I’m not saying Mickey Mantle is the greatest player of our time, but Mantle has a body of work that spans 18 years in the majors.  Mike Trout is a great player with a great start to his career. And guess what, if Mike Trout suddenly has a season ending injury and can’t compete the same way he did this season, we’re not talking about this anymore.  You can’t made predictions so loosely without a body of work, you just can’t.  It’s not fair to the kid who probably feels the pressure (although you can't tell with Trout), but you also can’t do that to the legend either.  Luckily Ron Washington, whom I rarely agree with, gets it.

He was asked about Trout recently and he said “He’s not Willie Mays. He’s a pretty good player, but I think the comparisons have to stop. Let the kid play. When he’s been here 5 years, 6 years, then you can start doing that.” Read HERE.

Wow! I agree with Ron Washington, I’m speechless.

Look, what’s not to love about Mike Trout? He’s a good looking hard working kid who brings results with every at bat.  Let the guy play ball, let the fans get behind him, and let him make his own legacy. Comparisons this early on are just silly....that's my take at least.

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WHY SABATHIA'S STREAK CONTINUES

(Photo: Getty)
CC Sabathia is the biggest and best horse in the Major Leagues. How else do you explain, not only turning around a losing streak as well as pitching and winning his 7th straight start. Don't look now, but CC is 14-4 with a 1.68 ERA in 7 starts.

CC gave up just 1 run in 8 innings and only allowed 3 hits yesterday. Yes, it started out with a few hits and a run in the first inning, but that was it. After that, CC settled in and trusted his team, plus his own stuff and there you have it. Dominance.

Other highlights for the Bombers yesterday:
(Photo: Getty)
Derek Jeter went 2 for 5 yesterday. The coolest thing for me is it was his 3007th hit and he is now 26th on the all-time hit list, tied with Al Kaline. Guys, this is the all-time hits list. Believe me, it's a big deal. Where are the haters now?

Brett Gardner went 3 for 4 yesterday. Gardy utilized his speed, stealing a base and scoring a run.

Eduardo Nunez committed yet another error yesterday. Absolutely unacceptable. This time the error didn't turn into something worse, but you know my feeling about errors and there is no reason for any player to have 12 errors, especially if you are trying to prove your worth.

Mariano came in in the 9th inning, gave up 2 singles and then shut down the Jays. The dude can still pitch and after letting up those 2 hits, he reached back and it was pure Mo.

Final Score: Yankees 4 - Blue Jays 1

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