Saying no to Roger Maris

Roger Maris is coming off an historic season – hitting 61 home runs in 1961 to break Babe Ruth’s iconic record– and, understandably, wants a pay raise from the $32,000 he receives in 1961 from the New York Yankees.

Maris also is coming off back-to-back seasons in which he leads the Yankees to two World Series appearances – losing to Pittsburgh in 1960 before beating Cincinnati in 1961 – as well as being named the American League’s Most Valuable Player in each of those two seasons.

So, he looks to more than double his pay and asks for $75,000 – a sum to which the Yankees general manager Roy Hamey 62 years ago today says, um, no, not doing that.

In time, Maris and Hamey agree to a $70,000 contract for the 1962 season.

Maris eventually gets his salary to $75,000, but not until 1966 in his final season with the Yankees.

“It’s a business,” Maris later says. “If I could make more money down in the zinc mines, I’d be mining zinc.”