The Sports Fan Project

When I realized my flight home from Fargo would depart mid-afternoon on Monday, I decided to pay a visit to the West Acres Mall.

Now, before I go on … yes, a mall. A bonafide, functional, and dang-near fully occupied mall.

I know, I was amazed as well when my traveling buddy, Wayne, and I took a lap to see what was what in this spot situated near the junction of Interstates 94 and 29. We saw only two storefronts that seemed to be between tenants. And, might I say, for a Monday late morning, it was hopping!

Though it was still 10 days before Thanksgiving, the holiday decorations were hung with care in hopes that oodles of shoppers would soon be there. And, again, on this Monday morning, quite a few were there.

But I digress.

The reason I wanted to pay a visit to West Acres was to visit one wing in particular at the southeast corner near the Best Buy store. That’s where the Roger Maris Museum was.

Yes, that Roger Maris.

Maris, whose birth name was Maras before his father changed the family surname in 1955, was born in Hibbing, MN, in 1934, but his family moved to Grand Forks, ND, when he was four and then on to Fargo when he was 12. He’s a graduate of Fargo’s Bishop Shanley High School.

Maris played 12 seasons in the Majors for four teams. Most notably among them, the New York Yankees, when, in 1961, he engaged in an epic season-long home run derby with fellow outfielder, Mickey Mantle. Maris wound up winning that derby and, in so doing, bested Yankee legend Babe Ruth‘s single-season MLB home run record by one, 61-60. Notably, of course, was that during Ruth’s era teams played but 154 games and in 1961 they played 162.

What I found when I made my way down by that Best Buy was small but tastefully done display that seemed to keep with both Maris’ persona and his wishes.

By all accounts he was a no-frills fella who never really wanted to be in the glaring spotlight he found himself in back in 1961. A sort of lunch pail type of player who simply wanted to play the game and head home. In fact, one of the items on display underscores Maris’ wishes for the museum.

Beyond the 70 or so feet of artifacts in a few showcases out in the mall’s hallway, there is also a small room that runs a video about Maris on a loop. It’s decked out with old Yankee Stadium seating and provides a lovely spot to get off your feet for a few minutes and be transported back to the 1950s and 60s.

Sadly, thieves made off with his 1960 and 1961 American League MVP Awards in a brazen middle-of-the-night break in back in July 2016. The museum curators call them out on the display of photos of said awards and plea for them to be returned to their rightful home.

And, yes, odd as it might seem to have a museum for a baseball legend in a shopping mall, it works. If you find yourself in Fargo, pay the West Acres Mall a visit. Come for the Orange Julius, stay for the Roger Maris Museum.

^{Clockwise from upper left, a photo of the 1960 AL MVP Award; one of two Babe Ruth Sultan of Swat crowns that are displayed; a replica of his Yankee Stadium locker; the Museum’s dedication stone; Fargo’s Roger Maris Day (June 27, 1998) Proclamation; a replica of his tribute in Yankee Stadium’s Monument Park; the centerpiece of the Museum’s display; a look inside the film room, complete with Stadium seating; all 61 of his 1961 home runs have a pennant with the date and opposing pitcher highlighted; Maris spent his final two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, winning another World Series there in 1967; and the Museum’s welcome sign.}