Why is Roger Maris not in the Hall?

Question

???I don't get it???

- Set Baseball's Single Season Home Run Record (61 in 1961)
- 275 Career Home Runs
- Two-time Most Valuable Player in American League (1960 & 1961)
- Led American League in RBI's (1960 & 1961)
- Gold Glove Award Winner (1960)
- Seven World Series (1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1968)
- Six World Series Home Runs

Answer 1

He had a few good years and was a great hitter in his prime. The problem was his prime was only for 2-3 years. The rest of his career he was an average player. His career numbers just aren't good enough to make it in as an outfielder. If he had been a great defensive second basemen or something maybe, but not with all the great outfielders the game has had.

Answer 2

Lets examine Roger Maris to a couple players not in the Hall of Fame.

Roger Maris
.260 AVG, 1325 Hits, 275 HR's, 851 RBI's, 826 Runs Scored
vs
Jim Rice
.298 AVG, 2452 Hits, 382 HR's, 1451 RBI's, 1249 Runs Scored
Don Mattingly
.307 AVG, 2153 Hits, 222 HR's, 1099 RBI's, 1007 Runs Scored
Will Clark
.303 AVG, 2176 Hits, 284 HR's, 1205 RBI's, 1186 Runs Scored

And against these two recently retired players that will never get into the Hall of Fame.

Mark McGwire
.263 AVG, 1626 Hits, 583 HR's, 1414 RBI's, 1167 Runs Scored
and
Rafael Palmeiro
.288 AVG, 3020 Hits, 569 HR's, 1835 RBI's, 1663 Runs Scored

With just barely 1000 hits and not even 1000 RBI's and runs scored, Maris doesn't have the numbers for the Hall. And guys with the numbers either were caught cheating or are suspected of cheating, so they won't get in either.

Answer 3

Your arguement for him is in the 2 time MVP awards. Not too many 2 time MVP winners aren't in HOF but there are others if I remember correctly (Dale Murphy, I think?). All those WS appearances and the six homers don't mean too much or else you'd have to put Bill Skowron, Bobby Richardson, Clete Boyer, Gil McDougald, Vic Raschi and a bunch of other guys from the Yanks when they went to the World Series constantly from 1949 - 64. That being said you could certainly argue that he was in intregral part of the Cardinal's World Series appearances in 67 and 68 too. Roger got a fair amount of support for election (at least vocalized, I have no idea what his election results were) while he held the record but now that it is broken either righteously or otherwise most of the magic is off #61. I just hope he's remembered as something more than an answer to a trivia question in 2050 or so.

Answer 4

Maris had two great seasons, a third very good one, and the rest of his career he was a useful, above-average hitter and outfielder but not particularly noteworthy. And a career like that is not Hall measure. The writers nailed it.

Maris took home two AL MVP Awards (1960-61), three championship rings, four All-Star selections, a Gold Glove, and everlasting fame for his 61 homers in 1961. This is the correct amount of honoraria for the man and his career.

Consider: had Maris played the exact same career except for having two homers fall short for doubles, finishing with 59 in '61, there would not be one-tenth as much clamor about him. Forgotten? Hardly. I honestly thought Maris had his last burst of attention when McGwire and later Sosa passed him in 1998, but the Maris fans have amazing tenacity and a marked inability to calm down.

Maris isn't about to get in the Hall -- the museum has some artifacts from him, but that's different -- and the ongoing railing about some perceived injustice regarding this state of affairs is unseemly.

Answer 5

Because he wasn't good enough. If you look at his numbers, you see an above-average player who happened to have a couple of great seasons. Having a great year or 2 simply isn't enough. If it weren't for the '61 season, nobody would ever even mention him as a possible Hall of Famer.

Of the stats you mentioned, the only really significant ones are the league leaderships and the awards. Playing in the World Series is meaningless - just playing on the Yankees for a few years in the 50s would have given you a bunch of rings even if you were just a bench jockey.

Answer 6

Well as a Yankee fan, I will try to be as objective as I can. Roger Maris did accomplish one of the biggest feats and broke one of the most historic records in MLB history by hitting 61 home runs in 1961. However, for years all the record books showed the record as 61* home runs. The ones responsible for this were former commissioners like Ford Frick and the baseball writers who gave Maris a hard time because he did not have the charismatic charm as Mickey Mantle or Whitey Ford. This is still present today, many other players who have better stats are still not in the Hall, because the writers help put the players in the Hall. As another year passes by, the less and less of Maris' accomplishments are remembered and more and more players are left out of the Hall.

Answer 7

The only thing Roger Maris is known for is the 61 home runs in a single season. Maris no doubt is a good player but he was not really that great. You look at what he has done, now compare it to hall of famers. It looks like chump change.

Answer 8

He's mentioned in the hall where he belongs - a chapter in the long, storied history of baseball...so in that sense, he IS in the HOF.

But as a career player, he just doesn't have the numbers. Take two homers away from him in '61 and would you still be pushing for Maris?

Answer 9

One good season does not make a hal of famer.
You noted lots of stats but look at who he was up against back then
Roberto Clememte, Frank Robinson and even Pete Rose.
So sorry not a hall of famer. A superstar for a year or so.

Answer 10

because hes not a hall of fame player.he just had 1 great year in which he hit 61 hr.his career #s are not hall of fame.his bat is in when he broke ruths record,but i think thats it.