December 8, 1966. The Yankees announced they'd traded Roger Maris to the St. Louis Cardinals for Charley Smith. Five years after hitting 61 home runs and breaking the most sacred record in American sports, Maris left New York for the price of a journeyman third baseman. The trade didn't make the front page in most cities. In the Bronx, it barely made a ripple. That's how far things had fallen -- a man who'd been the biggest story in baseball was now an afterthought.
The Weight of 61
Maris arrived in New York before the 1961 season via trade from Kansas City, and from the moment he put on the pinstripes, the expectations were crushing. He didn't look like a Yankee. He didn't talk like a Yankee. He was a quiet kid from North Dakota who just wanted to play ball, and instead he got thrust into a home run race with Mickey Mantle that consumed the entire country.
He hit 61 home runs that October. Beat Ruth's record. And the public response wasn't celebration -- it was resentment. Commissioner Ford Frick slapped an asterisk on the record because Maris had 162 games to Ruth's 154. Fans who loved Mantle wanted Mantle to break the record, not this outsider. Maris's hair fell out from the stress. He developed a rash. He retreated from the press and never fully recovered from the experience of being America's most reluctant celebrity.
The Decline
After 1961, Maris never hit more than 33 home runs in a season. Injuries took their toll -- a hand injury in 1965 limited him to 46 games. By 1966, he was 31 years old with a body that had been battered by years of playing through pain. He hit .233 with 13 home runs in 119 games. The Yankees, spiraling toward last place, didn't need a declining outfielder with a complicated history. They needed to start over.
The trade itself reflected the organization's desperation. Charley Smith was a replacement-level third baseman who'd hit .266 with 10 home runs for the Cardinals in 1966. He wasn't the kind of player you get in return for a former MVP unless the former MVP's value had cratered completely. The Yankees weren't trying to win the trade. They were trying to clear a roster spot and move on.
Maris in St. Louis
What happened next added insult to injury. Maris went to St. Louis and found happiness. Manager Red Schoendienst gave him a relaxed environment. The Cardinals' clubhouse -- filled with Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Orlando Cepeda, and Tim McCarver -- welcomed him without the pressure that had defined his New York years. Maris hit .261 with 9 home runs in 1967 and helped the Cardinals win the World Series, beating the Red Sox in seven games.
He played one more season in St. Louis before retiring. The man who'd been miserable in New York found peace in the Midwest. The franchise that had treated him as a problem found no solution in his departure -- the 1967 Yankees finished 72-90, worse than the year before.
The Legacy of the Trade
The Maris trade stands as one of the clearest markers of the Yankees' decline. When an organization trades a former MVP and home run record holder for a utility infielder, it's not making a baseball decision. It's making a surrender. The Yankees were admitting that the dynasty was over, that the stars who'd carried the franchise through five consecutive pennants were either retired, injured, or unwanted.
Maris deserved better from the organization. He'd given them his best years, endured public scrutiny that would've broken most people, and performed at the highest level when it mattered most. The reward was a trade to St. Louis for a player nobody remembers. It took decades for the Yankees to fully recognize what Maris had meant to the franchise -- his number 9 wasn't retired until 1984, long after the bitterness had faded.
| Trade Date | December 8, 1966 |
| To | St. Louis Cardinals |
| For | Charley Smith (3B) |
| Maris Yankees Career | 1960-1966, 203 HR |
| 61 HR Season | 1961 |
| 1966 Stats | .233, 13 HR, 43 RBI |
| Cardinals Result | Won 1967 World Series |
Maris Acquired by Yankees
The Yankees trade for Maris from the Kansas City Athletics. He's 25 years old with growing power numbers.
61st Home Run
Maris breaks Babe Ruth's single-season record with his 61st home run off Tracy Stallard of the Red Sox on the final day of the regular season.
Injuries and Decline
Maris battles injuries, never matching his 1961 peak. A 1965 hand injury limits him to 46 games and accelerates his decline.
Final Season in New York
Maris hits .233 with 13 home runs on a last-place team. The organization decides to move on.
Traded to Cardinals
Maris goes to St. Louis for Charley Smith. The most famous home run hitter of his generation leaves New York without ceremony.
World Series Champion
Maris helps the Cardinals win the 1967 World Series, finding the peace in St. Louis that had eluded him in New York.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Roger Maris traded from the Yankees?
The Yankees traded Maris to the St. Louis Cardinals on December 8, 1966, in exchange for third baseman Charley Smith. Maris had spent seven seasons in New York, hitting 203 home runs, including the record-breaking 61 in 1961.
What did the Yankees receive for Roger Maris?
The Yankees received Charley Smith, a journeyman third baseman who'd hit .266 with 10 home runs for the Cardinals in 1966. Smith played one season in New York before being traded again, making the return for Maris practically worthless.
How did Roger Maris perform after leaving the Yankees?
Maris hit .261 with 9 home runs for the 1967 Cardinals and helped them win the World Series. He played one more season in St. Louis before retiring after the 1968 season. By all accounts, Maris was far happier in St. Louis than he'd been in New York during his later years.