October 4, 2022 - Aaron Judge breaks AL single-season home run record held by Roger Maris, a 1952 Shanley grad

October 4, 2022 8:45 pm

By Tom Mix
NDHSAA Media Specialist

ARLINGTON, Texas - There is a new American League single-season home run king.

Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees broke the American League single season home run record - 61 home runs - previously held by former New York Yankees outfielder Roger Maris, a 1952 graduate of Fargo Shanley High School. Judge hit his 62nd home run of the 2022 MLB season during the Yankees' 3-2 loss to the Texas Rangers on Tuesday October 4.

Judge's historic home run was a leadoff blast off of Rangers starter Jesus Tinoco in the first inning.

Maris hit 61 home runs during the 1961 season breaking Babe Ruth's MLB single season home run record of 60 home runs at the time. Maris' feat of 61 home runs held an asterisk behind it due to Ruth hitting 60 home runs in a 154-game season while Maris hit 61 home runs during the 1961 season in which Major League Baseball had expanded its regular season to 162 games due adding expansion clubs to its ranks.

The asterisk was later lifted, but not until after Maris' passing in 1985. Maris would remain baseball's single-season home run king until 1998 when Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals would surpass him on the list and end the year having hit 70 home runs in 1998.

McGwire's mark of 70 was later surpassed by San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds who'd hit 73 home runs in a season.

Until Judge hit his 62nd on Tuesday, every player who had previously surpassed Maris on the MLB single-season list has been linked to performance enhancing drugs (PEDs).

Maris will forever be linked to the home run record and his historic 1961 season - the year a former Shanley prep sports standout took the sporting world for a ride that culminated with Maris hitting his 61st home run during the regular season finale off of Boston Red Sox pitcher Tracy Stallard at Old Yankee Stadium. Maris won the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 1960 and 1961.

The Yankees retired Maris' No. 9 jersey to commemorate his big league career, most of which was spent slugging home runs in the Bronx.

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