Wit & Attitude Quote by Roger Maris

There is a bruised honesty in Maris admitting he might not be "a great man" while still insisting on greatness in the one arena he can control: the record book. The line sidesteps hero mythology and goes straight to the athlete's real currency: measurable achievement. He is not asking to be loved, canonized, or even understood. He is asking to be counted.

The wording matters. "Maybe" concedes public doubt without fully swallowing it; it's a defensive shrug that still keeps his pride intact. "Damn well" does the heavy lifting - a flash of anger, grit, and stubborn self-authorization. It reads like a man talking back to a whole stadium of expectations, not just a pitcher on the mound. Maris frames the chase not as destiny but as appetite, a desire that feels almost impolite in its bluntness. That bluntness is the point: he's refusing the sentimental script where records happen because a hero was chosen. He wants it because he wants it.

The context sharpens the edge. In 1961, chasing Babe Ruth's 60 home runs meant chasing a national shrine, with the press and fans often treating Maris as an intruder. Teammate Mickey Mantle had the charisma; Ruth had the myth; Maris had the numbers and the stress. This quote captures the psychological bargain of modern sports fame: you can be doubted as a person, even disliked, as long as you deliver the statistic no one can argue with.