(LOT 106)
1961 Roger Maris "60th Home Run" PSA Type I Original United Press International Photo – Measures 8" x 10" - PSA Type 1 Encapsulation
"Fastball hit deep to right…this could be it…way back there…Holy Cow he did it…61 for Maris…". Such was the iconic broadcast of legendary Yankee announcer Phil "The Scooter" Rizzuto when Roger Maris blasted Red Sox hurler Tracy Stallard's fastball into Yankee Stadium's lower deck on the last game of the 1961 season to surpass Babe Ruth's hallowed 60 homer-mark. While Maris had already captured an A.L. MVP award the prior season with New York, it was his monumental blast that forever ensured his legacy. Most baseball historians were convinced that one of baseball's unbreakable records was the "Bambino's" historic 60 round-trippers, achieved in the Yankee's historic 1927 season. While several players have since surpassed the 61-mark, it is no secret that Bonds, McGuire and Sosa's figures were triggered by performance enhancing drugs, thus discounted by a seemingly infinite number of baseball purists.

While the 61st home run is obviously the most historic of all Maris round-trippers, his second most significant wallop was his "record tying" 60th dinger, recorded on September 26, 1961 at Yankee Stadium. Facing the Baltimore Orioles crafty hurler Jack Fisher, Roger Maris stepped to the plate in the bottom of the third inning and blasted a Fisher pitch deep into Yankee Stadium's right field seats, tying the Babe Ruth's "magical" 60-homer mark! While many 61st-homer photos circulate throughout the hobby, Maris 60th-homer images seldom surface for the taking. Courtesy of Memory Lane Inc., we are proud to now offer this captivating 8" x 10" photo that depicts the legendary slugger hitting his 60th round tripper. Amazingly, you can see the ball taking off towards the grandstands as the exalted Maris bat clears the hitting zone via his world-class bat speed.

Encapsulated as a PSA Type I photo for ironclad authenticity, the illustration exhibits remarkable contrast and registration with the image well centered between four bright white borders. No obtrusive surface blemishes are evident and the verso reveals the critical United Press International credit stamp as well as the 9/26/61 caption detailing the historic Maris home run. To reiterate, while several other players have since passed the historic "61" figure, it is Roger Maris' 61 single season home runs that stands "clean", achieved totally within the boundaries of fair play. That said, any image representing either his 60th or 61st homer stands as a sheer testament to his formidable stature that will surly "echo for eternity"! - PSA Type I Encapsulation

MIN BID $200
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