1961 Baseball Season

During the 1961 baseball season, Hank Aaron led the Braves to their ninth division title in as many years, while Roger Maris hit 61 home runs to break Babe Ruth's single-season record. Here are some of the headlines from the 1961 baseball season:

1961 Cincinnati Reds Cruise to National League Flag

Although no match for the Yankees in the 1961 World Series, the Reds won the flag by a comfortable four-game margin. The following year, the Reds actually had a higher winning percentage yet could finish no better than third place.

Warren Spahn Wins 21 at Age 40

Age 40 in 1961, Warren Spahn won 21 games, tying for first place in victories in the National League; in 1963, after turning 42 years old, he won 23 games. His phenomenal durability caused Stan Musial to remark that he doubted Spahn would ever get into the Hall of Fame because it seemed Spahn would never stop pitching.

Joe Cunningham Nabs Liner in Stick

St. Louis left fielder Joe Cunningham spears a liner off Orlando Cepeda's bat in a 1961 game against the Giants at Candlestick Park. A few weeks later, the Stick, in its second year of existence, introduced a national TV audience to its infamous wind when Stu Miller was blown off the mound in an All-Star Game. Cunningham, a nondescript player for a dozen years, was actually a darn good hitter: He batted .345 in 1959 to finish second in the batting race. In 1961, he hit .286.

Hank Aaron Leads Proud Braves

The Braves were still in Milwaukee in 1961 and showed no signs of moving, as Hank Aaron spearheaded the club to its ninth first-division finish in the nine years it had been in Wisconsin. Aaron hit .327 that year with 39 doubles (tops in the loop), 34 home runs, and 120 RBI. The Braves' skein continued through the 1965 season, the club's last year in Milwaukee.

Orlando Cepeda No. 1 at First

The Giants had an enviable problem in the early 1960s: They had two great first basemen in Orlando Cepeda and Willie McCovey. (In 1961, Cepeda tallied 46 home runs and 142 RBI.) The Giants came up with a solution: They waited until Cepeda's value had been reduced by an injury and then traded him.

Charles Finley Lacks Horse Sense

By the close of the 1961 season, A's followers had already begun believing that new owner Charley Finley had about as much baseball sense as his mascot. The A's tied the expansion Senators for last place in the American League that year.

Roger Maris: 61 HRs a Nightmare

Roger Maris later revealed to writer Joe Reichler that his baseball career would have been a lot more fun if he had never hit those 61 home runs in 1961. About all that breaking Babe Ruth's record brought him, he said, was headaches. The controversy of the accomplishment centered on the fact that Ruth had nailed 60 home runs playing in 151 of his team's 155 games while Maris had 161 of 163 games to collect dingers.

Find more 1961 baseball season headlines and summaries on the next page.

To learn more about baseball, see:

Below are more highlights of the 1961 baseball season, including the batting accomplishments of Norm Cash, who had a once-in-a-lifetime year, and Frank Robinson's 1961 National League MVP win.

Brooks Robinson Can't Help 1961 O's

Brooks Robinson was the infield fulcrum on a team that in 1961 was a preseason favorite to win the American League pennant (he hit .287 that season). When it grew evident in September that Baltimore was out of the race, manager Paul Richards was replaced by Lum Harris. A fine pilot, Richards did not manage again in the majors until 1976.

Frank Robinson Slugs Way to 1961 National League MVP

Frank Robinson led the National League in one category in 1961 -- slugging, with a .611 average -- yet ran away with the award for Most Valuable Player. The emergence of Gordy Coleman allowed Reds skipper Fred Hutchinson to move Robinson from first base back to his normal post in right field; consequently, Cincy vaulted from sixth place in 1960 to a pennant in 1961, its first flag since 1940.

Norm Cash Boasts Best BA of '60s

The extraordinary 1961 season of Norm Cash was overshadowed by the home run feats of Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle, but historians are now beginning to recognize its true significance. That year, Cash had the highest batting average (.361) of any player during the 1960s and the highest on-base percentage (.488) since 1957. Cash went on to club 377 home runs in his 17-year career yet, oddly, never came within 75 points of his .361 mark. In 1962, his average plummeted to .243. The 118-point fall-off is the worst ever by a batting champion.

Willie Mays Thrills 1961 Giants Fans

Willie Mays ranked high in every major slugging department in 1961. He topped the National League with 129 runs scored, came in second with 40 home runs, and placed third with 334 total bases, 123 RBI, and 81 walks. Oddly, never once in his 22-year career did Mays lead the National League in RBI.

Vada Pinson, Frank Robinson Rev Up 1961 Reds

Vada Pinson and Frank Robinson were the offensive leaders for the Reds in 1961. Pinson posted a .343 average that season, leading the National League with 208 hits. Robinson led the circuit with a .611 slugging average that year, with 37 homers and 124 RBI.

Lew Burdette Wins 18

Lew Burdette was a master at never working any harder than he had to. Given one run, he'd pitch a shutout. Given nine runs, he'd win 9-6. The end result was that he always finished among the leaders in runs surrendered. In 1956, however, with his team in a down-to-the-wire flag race, he led the National League with a 2.71 ERA. In 1961, he led the league in innings (272) and went 18-11.

Chairman Goes 25-4

By the early 1960s, Whitey Ford had acquired the nickname "The Chairman of the Board." It was somewhat misleading. Ford and Mickey Mantle were probably the Yankees' two leading free spirits in that era. On the field, though, Ford was all business; his 25-4 record in 1961 was the best performance by a Yankees pitcher prior to 1978. Ford paced the American League in wins, win pct. (.862), starts (39), and innings pitched (283).

To find highlights of key events and details from the 1961 season, continue to the next page.

To learn more about baseball, see:

All eyes were on New York during the 1961 baseball season as the Yankees wowed audiences everywhere. The team won 109 games and had 240 home runs. Below, you will find the highlights from the 1961 baseball season:

Check out the next section for more highlights of the 1961 baseball season.

To learn more about baseball, see:

During the 1961 baseball season, Roger Maris chased Babe Ruth's record and beat him -- but only after playing more games -- while Roberto Clemente earned a Gold Glove. Check out more highlights from the 1961 baseball season below:

To learn more about baseball, see: