The first home run Roger Maris hit in St. Louis as a Cardinal was worth the wait.
On June 10, 1967, two months into his first Cardinals season, Maris hit a walkoff three-run home run in the 11th inning at Busch Stadium, giving St. Louis a 5-2 victory over the Dodgers.
The home run was Maris’ third for the Cardinals _ the first two occurred at New York and at Pittsburgh _ but was his first in his home ballpark since being acquired by St. Louis from the Yankees in December 1966.
Maris, who six years earlier had established a major-league single-season record with 61 home runs for the Yankees, no longer was a consistent power hitter, but he was a key member of a Cardinals club that would win the World Series championship.
His first Busch Stadium home run enabled the Cardinals to continue a hot streak that one week later would propel them into first place in the National League.
Stormy night
The Cardinals were 3.5 games behind the front-running Reds entering their Saturday night game against the defending NL champion Dodgers. Maris, batting .291, was held out of the starting lineup by manager Red Schoendienst. The Dodgers were starting a left-hander, Jim Brewer, and Maris did much better against right-handers.
Tornado warnings were issued in the St. Louis area that evening and a severe thunderstorm struck downtown St. Louis, delaying the start of the game 64 minutes and creating treacherous conditions in the outfield.
The Dodgers scored twice in the first inning off their nemesis, Larry Jaster, who had pitched five shutouts against them the previous year.
Brewer, primarily a reliever, held the Cardinals scoreless for six innings. “He told me he was tiring a little going into the seventh,” Dodgers manager Walter Alston said to the Pasadena Independent Star-News, “but you couldn’t take him out the way he was going.”
Curt Flood led off the Cardinals’ half of the seventh with a walk and Bobby Tolan lined a home run over the right-field wall, tying the score at 2-2.
Maris entered the game in the ninth as a pinch-hitter for Jaster and popped out to second baseman Ron Hunt. Maris stayed in the game, replacing Alex Johnson in right field, and Joe Hoerner relieved Jaster.
Extra innings
Phil Regan, who came in for Brewer in the eighth, held the Cardinals scoreless for three innings.
In the 11th, Alston brought in Bob Miller to pitch. Miller, a St. Louis native, had made his major-league debut in 1957 with the Cardinals and pitched for them in four seasons.
Tim McCarver led off the 11th against Miller with a double. Dal Maxvill attempted to advance McCarver with a bunt, but Miller fielded the ball and threw out McCarver at third.
With Maxvill at first and one out, Tolan singled.
That brought Maris to the plate against the right-hander.
Easy swing
Maris swung at a 2-and-2 pitch.
“I was just trying to avoid making an out,” Maris said. “I didn’t swing hard. I just wanted to meet the ball.”
Said Dodgers catcher John Roseboro: “That’s the way it looked when he swung. He just dropped his bat in front of the ball.”
Joe Hendrickson of the Pasadena newspaper wrote, “The ball sailed like a rocket over the fence and into the seats.”
Said Maris: “That was my most satisfying hit since coming to St. Louis.” Boxscore
The victory was part of a stretch in which the Cardinals won 15 of 17 and surged to the top of the NL standings.
“This Cardinals team reminds me of my Yankees days,” Maris told United Press International. “The Yankees at one time played for the big hit. The atmosphere is also something like we had in New York. In those days, we’d get some runs behind, but we knew we were going to win it.”
Previously: With last homer, Roger Maris helped Cards clinch title
RetroSimba 
Loved Roger Maris. And, thank you, Mike Shannon for moving to third base for him.
The 1960’s Cardinals were special.
Yes, indeed. They defined professionalism.
Maris is one of the most under rated
players of any generation. Played
In Mantles shadow. Did the Cards
well. Back to back MVP awards?
You’re correct. Roger Maris won AL MVP awards in 1960 and 1961. His teammate, Mickey Mantle, was runner-up in the voting both years.
And Jaster pitches his usual Dodger game.
Roger Maris really did enjoy his time in St. Louis. He never craved being the center of attention. He relished in the role of support. He doesn’t get enough credit for a defensive play he made in game 7 of the 1962 WS during the ninth inning. Neither for a great 1967 WS. Forgive me for sounding controversial but, the real homerun derby was that of 1961.
Yes, in my view, Roger Maris still holds the single-season record for most home runs because, unlike Bobby Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, he didn’t use performance-enhancing drugs.
Some well-known ballplayers called it quits after the 1968 season: Maris, Mickey Mantle, Eddie Mathews, Elston Howard and Rocky Colavito. Seemed like more big names than usual.
Good point. Their departures were a symbolic end to the last great era in baseball, for 1968 would be the last year that finishing in first place in the regular season really mattered. The next year, finishing with the league’s best record was no guarantee of getting into the World Series. Today, a team can finish with the fifth-best overall league record, get hot in the postseason and reach the World Series. Post-pandemic, we’ll see the number of playoff teams increase and the regular season will be cheapened even more. The sheer greed and selfishness from owners and players today makes baseball a carnival act. Mantle, Maris, Mathews, Howard, Colavito exited at the right time.
I became a Cardinal fan when Maris was traded there. Maris broke the hamate bone in his right hand in 1965. The injury was misdiagnosed and he was never able to generate the power he had shown earlier. His all-around baseball skills however were still there, evidenced by his contributions to the Cards winning the pennant in his two years with the team.
Good info, thanks. Those 2 years with the Cardinals helped many to see Roger Maris was much more than just a home run hitter.