Babe Ruth 100th Anniversary Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/12/2014
While you would think being the holder of the single season home run record would be a great thing, Roger Maris' experience was anything but. Besides breaking the record held by the game's biggest star, most fans wanted his teammate, Mickey Mantle, to be the one who surpassed Ruth. In '62 Maris slumped to just 33 homers and a batting average that hovered above .250. He tried his best to stay out of the limelight, choosing to stay in the shadow of his teammate Mickey Mantle. 1963 was worse, hampered by nagging injuries and more unjust criticism. But in 1964 Maris emerged from the background, having a career year with a .281 average that helped the Yankees fight their way to their last World Series until 1976. In Game 6 he and Mantle hit back-to-back homers off Curt Simmons to put the Yanks ahead and force a Game 7. It was a fine way to end his career in New York - in '65 he would be injured again and manage to play less than 50 games and was traded to St. Louis. This helmet dates from Maris' last good years in New York and is a striking example of the punishment a couple of seasons of big league baseball can inflict on men and equipment.
This helmet is the epitome of the phrase "game used". Unlike today's polished and pretty helmets, this early example of helmet looks exactly like what it was intended to do - protect a batter's head. There's nothing fancy here: with Maris having to face fireballers like Herb Score, Bob Gibson and Sandy Koufax, aesthetic beauty simply didn't weigh into the equation when it came to protection. These caps, manufactured by American Baseball Cap of Media, Pennsylvania were originally covered with wool to make it appear like a regular ball cap. Over the course of a season the covering had a tendency to wear off and look sloppy. In order to maintain the team's high standard of appearance, the un-artistic clubhouse staff at Yankee Stadium simply spray painted the helmets black and stenciled the famous inter-twined "NY" on the front in white. The result is this striking, almost folk-art looking piece we offer in this auction. This Maris helmet, along with the Mantle that is in this auction, were sent to the Yankees farm team in Binghamton where they were obtained from the team's former General Manager. That it has survived this long is a minor miracle - these things were usually used until they were worn out.
As befitting its role as a piece of safety equipment, this helmet bears the marks of heavy use. Scuffs, gouges and scratches can be seen all over the crown and brim. There is a crack in the rear of the helmet extending about an inch and a half from the edge. 3 pieces of the trim on the brim have broken off, revealing the fiberglass from which it was made. As if to ram home the need for and effectiveness of this helmet, there is a frightening 1 1/2" crack just above Maris' left temple where the brim meets the crown. Though the helmet's body is roughed up through game use, the stenciled "NY" is still very much intact and vibrant, making this a very spectacular and visually interesting piece. The inside has the "American Baseball Cap, Media, PA" manufacturers size "7-1/2" tag. The tag has the company's zip code, indicating this helmet was produced after 1963, the year post office zip codes were introduced. Also inside the helmet is a well worn piece of athletic tape with "9 MARIS" written in black marker. The leather sweatband and crown padding are both intact and show evidence of use. A rare piece of Yankees history that offers a unique look at the development of the batting helmet. That it was once worn by a baseball legend makes it all the more unique. Letter of Authenticity from John Taube of J.T. Sports and Letter of Provenance from Mike Heffner of Lelands.