Sept. 2, 1961 - Roger Maris catapulted himself into a commanding position in the assault on Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs today by hitting two, his 52nd and 53rd of the year. Those two blows, along with a double by Maris, enabled the Yankees to crush the Tigers, 7-2. Maris's two homers put him within seven of the magic mark. He has 20 games remaining if he is to make it within the 154 games prescribed by Commissioner Ford Frick. With today's home runs, Maris became the second-highest, single-season home-run hitter in Yankee history, second only to Ruth. Mickey Mantle previously had held that distinction with the 52 homers he hit in 1956.
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