Roger Maris still holds the home run record (if you're a North Dakota resident)

[Klinglerware]

Wow, it looks like the Terri Schiavo case has emboldened state legislatures to even rewrite history...

hxxp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/baseball/mlb/03/31/maris.home.run.record.ap/index.html?cnn=yes



Roger that
ND Senate backs restoring Maris' home run record

Roger Maris' single-season home run record stood for 37 years.
John G. Zimmerman/SI


BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- The North Dakota Senate unanimously approved a resolution Thursday asking baseball commissioner Bud Selig to reinstate Roger Maris' 61 home runs in 1961 as the major league record.

Maris' mark has been surpassed six times since 1998, but baseball's steroids scandal has called the recent records into question.

"In North Dakota when we think something has been wrong, we try to make it right," said Sen. Joel Heitkamp, a Democrat who sponsored the resolution. "And when it comes to Roger Maris, and when it comes to steroids, and when it comes to how people have taken this record away ... that's not right."

Maris grew up in Fargo, where he was a high school star in baseball and football.

State senators approved the measure 45-0. It now moves to the North Dakota House for additional review.

Mark McGwire broke Maris' record by hitting 70 home runs in 1998, when Sammy Sosa hit 66. In 2001, Barry Bonds broke McGwire's record with 73 home runs.

The resolution is being debated as Congress explores allegations of steroid use in baseball, spurred in part by Jose Canseco's book, which alleges the muscle-building drugs were used by several players in the late 1980s and '90s.

McGwire and Sosa appeared at a U.S. House committee hearing March 17 to testify about the subject.

Sosa denied using steroids, while McGwire declined to answer questions about whether he had done so. McGwire and Canseco were teammates with the Oakland Athletics, and Canseco said he witnessed McGwire using steroids, an assertion McGwire has denied.

Bonds has denied knowingly using steroids.

Sen. Heitkamp said he has gotten several messages wondering why the North Dakota Legislature was wasting its time on baseball. However, he felt obliged to speak out because he believes Maris' record was eclipsed by cheating.

[Crapshoot]

Idiots.

[QuikSand]

Legislators.



...oh darn, I see Crapshoot beat me to it...

[stevew]

What a waste of the North Dakota Taxpayer money.

[Fritz]

this is absolutely idiotic.

[stevew]

And ND needs FORTY FIVE state senators? Thats rediculous.

[Fritz]

to early for plantin, to late for harvestin, wifes OTR this week

[Hurst2112]

See what happens up there when there isn't a big ass flood to worry about! Way too much time on their hands

[stevew]

I guess im in a time machine today. To complete the Time aided triple Dola, PA only has 50 state senators dispite having a much larger population.

[Surtt]

These are the same people that were going to change the name of the state from "North Dakota" to "Dakota" to improve tourism.

[Karim]

In my mind it's the Babe's record until someone cleanly hits 64 in a 162 game season... Right or wrong, that's the way I've always felt, even before the McGwire/Sosa race.

[rkmsuf]

It was either that or voting on extending squirrel hunting season.

[panerd]

I sure hope North Dakota doesn't join Texas and outlaw the BCS! This could be the new revolution in college football! The sad thing is that people will actually re-elect these morons.

[Surtt]

Originally Posted by Karim

In my mind it's the Babe's record until someone cleanly hits 64 in a 162 game season... Right or wrong, that's the way I've always felt, even before the McGwire/Sosa race.

Back when the Babe was playing ground rule doubles were counted as home runs. I you take this into consideration Maris beat the record in the same number of games.

[sovereignstar]

God, some of you guys are total losers.

[Hurst2112]

"Hey pot, I'm kettle. Nice to meet you."

[miami_fan]

Well if then if is the wave of the furture.....uh Gov. Bush and the FL senate...there is a certain TD record that I was wondering if you can take a look at.......

J/K Colts and Manning fans J/K

[Karim]

Originally Posted by Surtt

Back when the Babe was playing ground rule doubles were counted as home runs. If you take this into consideration Maris beat the record in the same number of games.

I'm guessing there is no way of knowing how many doubles left the park... Obviously that changes things but I still won't assign the record to modern day players using performance enhancing substances, even if they weren't technically illegal under MLB.

This isn't meant to start a flame war; it's just how I as a casual fan feel, right or wrong.

[WrongWay]

Hey, weren't all those players back then jacked up on cocaine?

You know, when the first Coke in Coca-Cola actually stood for something?