In 1961, Roger Maris was caught in the middle of a fabled home run race. Pitted against the fan-favorite Mickey Mantle, the two swatted dingers back and forth like ping pong balls as they chased 60 home runs and the ghost of Babe Ruth. Something ugly happened, however, when a new guy started out-slugging everyone’s hero en route to topping Babe Ruth’s legendary conquest: the fans and the media turned on him.
Near the end of the season, the stress became too much. The constant bad press, booing fans, and death threats caused Maris to have physiological reactions.