Sunday, January 24, 2021

TTM Success - Randy Maris

I don't mind getting a baseball legend's card signed by a relative, if the legend himself has passed.  In this case, I got a couple Roger Maris cards signed by his son Randy.
Maris (b. 1934 - d. 1985) played in the majors from 1957 to 1968 for the Indians, A's (KC), Yankees and Cardinals.  He had 1,325 hits, 275 home runs and a .260 batting average.  He was a 2-time AL MVP (1960 and 1961), a 7-time All Star (1959-1962, with double honors in 1960, 1961 and 1962) and a Gold Glove Award winner in 1960.  He won the World Series with the Yankees in 1961 and 1962 and with the Cardinals in 1967.  He was the single-season home run champ until Mark McGwire hit 70 in 1998.

Maris appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot for the maximum of 15 times (1974 to 1988), but never got more than 43.1% of the vote (and that was in his final year of eligibility).  Arguments can be made for and against Maris's Hall credentials; I'm not sure his two good seasons and one epic season among his 12 in the league qualifies him, but if he did get in at some point, I wouldn't be upset.

I mailed to Randy Maris on October 28 and got the cards back on November 9, for a 12-day TAT.