St. Louis Cardinals' Mark McGwire is presented with the ball from his 62nd home run, which was retrieved from a closed area by Tim Forneris, (right) a member of the groundskeeping crew, September 8, 1998.
Sept. 8, 1998
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Mark McGwire smashed Roger Maris’ 61 single-season home-run record, which had stood for 37 years, in this game against the Chicago Cubs. McGwire hustled around the bases hoping to get a double when he hit an 88-mph pitch toward the left-field foul pole, but it surprisingly went over the wall, 3 ft. inside the foul line. Cardinals groundskeeper Tim Forneris picked up the ball, and, although collectors would have paid millions, he gave the ball back to McGwire in the clubhouse. After the game, McGwire donated the ball, his bat, his uniform and the jersey his son had been wearing to the Hall of Fame. In exchange, they presented him with a red ’62 Corvette.