The Real Home Run King

Baseball has been the sport where legends are made. Like Babe Ruth, Derek Jeter, Micky Mantle and etc. But there is one legend that has not given the proper treat he should of have. Roger Maris was and always will be the best home run hitter in the game. In Billy Crystal’s  film 61*, the audience gets to see the true story of Maris and Micky Mantle chasing the home run record that Babe Ruth held before the 1961 baseball season where Maris took the record. Throughout the journey to 61 homeruns, Maris had to deal with critics, Micky Mantle, and with himself.

             Roger Maris (played Barry Pepper), had to deal with a lot of critics when he was with the Yankees. Throughout the time, critics in the newspapers called him a bum, not a true New York Yankee and wrote he would never was going to get the record or the praises he deserves because everyone was rooting for Micky Mantle (played by Thomas Jane). Maris would reserve death threats through letters that if he broke the record he would be killed, at games he was taunted and even had a fan throw a chair at him during a game.

            A lot of people thought Maris and Mantle didn’t get a long at all but really they were the best of friends even during the 1961 regular season and they both cheered each other on. Mantle was the biggest cheerleader on his side. Even though a lot of people wanted Mantle to get Ruth’s record because fans thought he was a true Yankee and two them unstoppable until at the end of the season where he was injured.

            Maris faced a great deal throughout the 1961 season. With death threats, calls to his home threatening his family and being the underdog. Still, through all the stress and pain everyone has caused him, Maris broke the home run record and became the greatest hitter in baseball history.

            Crystal showed the two sides of both men during the 1961 season and he didn’t hold anything back. He told the true story of these men, epically Maris and what he to go through to break that record. In the eyes of the audience, Maris became a hero to them because of the adversity he had to face to become a legend that he is today. Maris will be and always be the greatest home run hitter in the history of baseball.