Roger Maris of the New York Yankees, on his way to setting a season record for home runs, belts No. 54 against the Washington Senators at Yankee Stadium, September 6, 1961.

This photo was published the next day with the headline: "Maris' 54th Homer, One of 5 by Yanks, Marks Ford's Shutout Over Senators; Bomber Ace Gains 23d Triumph, 8-0; Yanks' Winning Streak at 7 - Blanchard Hits 2 Homers - Skowron, Hale Connect."

Maris's home run came in the fourth inning off Tom Cheney. "Maris took another Ruthian step toward baseball immortality by driving No. 54 into the Yankee bull pen," The Times wrote. "Maris thus halted a hitless string of sixteen official at-bats and moved eight games ahead of Babe Ruth's home run pace of 1927 when the Bambino blasted his record total of sixty. The Yanks now have played 139 games. Ruth hit his fifty-fourth in game No. 147. (Mickey) Mantle with fifth-one homers is even with the Babe."

Maris would hit his record-breaking 61th home run of the season on October 1, 1961.