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It is now exactly 50 years since the historic home run chase between Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris in the summer of 1961. Since 1927, many sluggers, to no avail, had chased Babe Ruth's record of 60 in one season, established in 1927. This year it was to be different. The year before, Mantle and Maris led the American League in home runs. Mantle had 40. Maris, 39. In the National League, Ernie Banks had 41, Hank Aaron 40. However, in 1961, 8 players were to have at least 40 home runs, 6 in the American League. In fact, what most people forget is that the Tigers had their own home run chase. Rocky Colavito and Norm Cash, in pursuing Maris and Mantle, had 45 and 41 home runs, respectively, that year. The Tigers won 101 games in 1961, good enough for the pennant in most years. However, the Yankees won 109 and once again they were the American League champions. However, it was the Mantle/Maris race that captivated the nation, much like it was in 1927, when Ruth and Lou Gehrig pushed each other for the home run leadership. Mantle came out of the gate strongly, while Maris slumped early. However, that changed as the season progressed, and they fought neck and neck throughout the season, propelling the Yankees along the way to the pennant. See below table for their 1961 home runs.

Note: Click on the underlined HR# to see that home run.

Note: Inn/OB represents Inning/Runners On Base. e.g. 2/12 means 2nd inning, runners on 1st & 2nd.

MICKEY MANTLE						ROGER MARIS
(Click on HR # to see Home Run)
HR	Date	Opponent	Pitcher	Inn/OB		HR	Date		Pitcher	Inn/OB
1	4/17	Athletics	Jerry Walker	1/1		1	4/26	@Tigers	Paul Foytack	5/0
2	4/20	Angels	Eli Grba	1/1		2	5/3	@Twins	Pedro Ramos	7/13
3	4/20	Angels	Eli Grba	5/12		3	5/6	@Angels	Eli Grba	5/0
4	4/21	@Orioles	Steve Barber	3/1		4	5/17	Senators	Pete Burnside	8/1
5	4/23	@Orioles	Chuck Estrada	4/0		5	5/19	@Indians	Jim Perry	1/1
6	4/26	@Tigers	Jim Donohue	8/3		6	5/20	@Indians	Gary Bell	3/0
7	4/26	@Tigers	Hank Aguirre	10/1		7	5/21	Orioles	Chuck Estrada	1/0
8	5/2	@Twins	Camilo Pascual	10/123		8	5/24	Red Sox	Gene Conley	4/1
9	5/4	@Twins	Ted Sadowski	6/0		9	5/28	White Sox	Cal McLish	2/0
10	5/16	Senators	Hal Woodeshick	6/0		10	5/30	@Red Sox	Gene Conley	3/0
11	5/29	@Red Sox	Ike Delock	7/0		11	5/30	@Red Sox	Mike Fornieles	8/12
12	5/30	@Red Sox	Gene Conley	1/13		12	5/31	@Red Sox	Billy Muffett	3/0
13	5/30	@Red Sox	Mike Fornieles	8/0		13	6/2	@White Sox	Cal McLish	3/1
14	5/31	@Red Sox	Billy Muffett	4/1		14	6/3	@White Sox	Bob Shaw	8/23
15	6/5	Twins	Ray Moore	8/2		15	6/4	@White Sox	Russ Kemmerer	3/0
16	6/9	Athletics	Ray Herbert	3/13		16	6/6	Twins	Ed Palmquist	6/12
17	6/10	Athletics	Bill Kunkel	8/0		17	6/7	Twins	Pedro Ramos	3/12
18	6/11	Angels	Eli Grba	1/13		18	6/9	Athletics	Ray Herbert	7/2
19	6/15	@Indians	Mudcat Grant	7/0		19	6/11	Angels	Eli Grba	3/0
20	6/17	@Tigers	Paul Foytack	9/23		20	6/11	Angels	Johnny James	7/0
21	6/21	@Athletics	Bob Shaw	1/23		21	6/13	@Indians	Jim Perry	6/0
22	6/21	@Athletics	Bob Shaw	7/3		22	6/14	@Indians	Gary Bell	4/2
23	6/26	@Angels	Ken McBride	2/0		23	6/17	@Tigers	Don Mossi	4/0
24	6/28	@Angels	Ryne Duren	9/1		24	6/18	@Tigers	Jerry Casale	8/1
25	6/30	Senators	Dick Donovan	6/2		25	6/19	@Athletics	Jim Archer	9/0
26	7/1	Senators	Carl Mathias	2/0		26	6/20	@Athletics	Joe Nuxhall	5/0
27	7/1	Senators	Carl Mathias	3/13		27	6/22	@Athletics	Norm Bass	2/23
28	7/2	Senators	Johnny Klippstein	8/1		28	7/1	Senators	Dave Sisler	9/1
29	7/8	Red Sox	Tracy Stallard	5/0		29	7/2	Senators	Pete Burnside	3/12
30	7/13	@White Sox	Early Wynn	1/0		30	7/2	Senators	Johnny Klippstein	7/0
31	7/14	@White Sox	Juan Pizarro	8/0		31	7/4	Tigers	Frank Lary	8/2
32	7/16	@Orioles	Steve Barber	4/0		32	7/5	Indians	Frank Funk	7/0
33	7/17	@Orioles	Milt Pappas	6/0		33	7/9	Red Sox	Bill Monbouquette	7/0
34	7/18	@Senators	Joe McClain	1/2		34	7/13	@White Sox	Early Wynn	1/2
35	7/18	@Senators	Joe McClain	8/0		35	7/15	@White Sox	Ray Herbert	3/0
36	7/19	@Senators	Dick Donovan	6/0		36	7/21	@Red Sox	Bill Monbouquette	1/0
37	7/21	@Red Sox	Bill Monbouquette	1/0		37	7/25	White Sox	Frank Baumann	4/2
38	7/25	White Sox	Frank Baumann	4/0		38	7/25	White Sox	Don Larsen	8/0
39	7/26	White Sox	Ray Herbert	1/3		39	7/25	White Sox	Russ Kemmerer	4/0
40	8/2	Athletics	Art Ditmar	1/2		40	7/25	White Sox	Warren Hacker	6/23
41	8/6	Twins	Pedro Ramos	1/1		41	8/4	Twins	Camilo Pascual	1/13
42	8/6	Twins	Pedro Ramos	3/0		42	8/11	@Senators	Pete Burnside	5/0
43	8/6	Twins	Al Schroll	2/0		43	8/12	@Senators	Dick Donovan	4/0
44	8/11	@Senators	Pete Burnside	7/2		44	8/13	@Senators	Bennie Daniels	4/0
45	8/13	@Senators	Bennie Daniels	9/0		45	8/13	@Senators	Marty Kutyna	1/1
46	8/20	@Indians	Jim Perry	1/12		46	8/15	White Sox	Juan Pizarro	4/0
47	8/30	@Twins	Jim Kaat	7/0		47	8/16	White Sox	Billy Pierce	1/1
48	8/31	@Twins	Jack Kralick	4/0		48	8/16	White Sox	Billy Pierce	3/2
49	9/3	Tigers	Jim Bunning	1/1		49	8/20	@Indians	Jim Perry	3/1
50	9/3	Tigers	Gerry Staley	9/0		50	8/22	@Angels	Ken McBride	6/1
51	9/5	Senators	Joe McClain	2/0		51	8/26	@Athletics	Jerry Walker	6/0
52	9/8	Indians	Gary Bell	5/0		52	9/2	Tigers	Frank Lary	6/0
53	9/10	Indians	Jim Perry	3/0		53	9/2	Tigers	Hank Aguirre	8/1
54	9/23	@Red Sox	Don Schwall	1/13		54	9/6	Senators	Tom Cheney	4/0
						55	9/7	Indians	Dick Stigman	3/0
						56	9/9	Indians	Mudcat Grant	7/0
						57	9/16	@Tigers	Frank Lary	3/1
						58	9/17	@Tigers	Terry Fox	12/1
						59	9/20	@Orioles	Milt Pappas	3/0
						60	9/26	Orioles	Jack Fisher	3/0
						61	10/1	Red Sox	Tracy Stallard	4/0

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