Jim Murray, Feb. 24, March 10, 1961

Feb. 24, 1961: Jim Murray visits the Lakers’ locker room before their game with the Celtics. Don’t miss it. March 10, 1961: PALM SPRINGS -- It is now being generally considered the Los Angeles Angels are going to be the canvas backs of baseball in the upcoming season, the only team in history to finish ninth or lower in the American League. You may wonder what I'm doing down here that can be of any interest at all to you.

Comments

[Ronald Emmis]

Showing a baseball theme should remind you, and all of us, that 2011 is the 50th anniversary of Roger Maris' 61 home runs, breaking Babe Ruth's record.

Of course Maris has since been eclipsed, but his was one for the record books. And the trivia question that always arises with Maris and 1961 is: who did he hit the magic 61st homer off of? The answer is: Tracy Stallard of the Boston Red Sox.

The famed Yankees went on to win 109 games that year (in a 162 game schedule, thus going 109-53), and faced The Cincinnati Reds (93-61) in the 1961 World Series. The Yanks would win, 4 games to 1, to win their 19th World Championship in 39 seasons. However, they have won only 8 other World Series in the past 50 years.