As Aaron Judge has continued his father’s legacy this season, Roger Maris Jr. has been clear about who he believes holds Major League Baseball’s home run record.
According to him, it’s not Barry Bonds, and he once again aired his feelings about it on social media on Friday.
On Twitter, Roger Maris Jr. once again reminded MLB fans that he believes his father’s 61 home runs in 1961 not only represents the American League record (a figure Judge tied on Wednesday in Toronto), but also the MLB record.
Big night tonight at Yankee Stadium! The place will vibrate as Judge tries to make home run number 62, which will set new records for MLB, the American League and the Yankees team. Dad always said, “Records are made to be broken. » CLEAN RECORDS MATTER! Baseball, do good!! pic.twitter.com/XWy4BmNW4d
– Roger Maris Jr (@RogerMarisJr) September 30, 2022
Contrary to what he believes, however, the MLB record books show Barry Bonds holding the single-season home run record with 73 hits in 2001. Behind Bonds and ahead of Maris on that same list are five more seasons achieved by two individuals, with Mark McGwire achieving 70 in 1998 and 65 in 1999, as well as Sammy Sosa achieving 66 in 1998, 64 in 2001 and 63 in 1999. shade of performance-enhancing drugs, a fact Maris Jr. referenced in interviews leading up to Judge’s feat this season.
Roger Maris Jr. makes his bias clear.
Although Maris Jr. has made it clear why he thinks his father’s record should be the highest of all (until it’s broken by Judge this season), erasing names and moments from the books of MLB history is a dicey proposition at best. Throughout baseball history, many players and teams have found ways to gain an advantage over the opposition, with some being more egregious than others. In recent memory, the Houston Astros’ actions during the 2017 season resulted in disciplinary action for multiple parties, but the records of MLB history still show Houston as the World Series champion.
There are also plenty of Yankees players who have also come under scrutiny for taking PEDs while wearing stripes.
Baseball fans (including Maris Jr.) may have their opinions and share them however they please, but the records so many are railing against will likely continue to stand the test of time, cementing them even more like the real and recognized records that MLB players of the present and future will pursue.
