In 1961 the American League schedule was lengthened by eight games to 162, and it was about this time that summer that the commissioner –– of whom it was once written, "An empty cab drove up to the curb and Ford Frick got out" –– declared that even if some player broke Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs, it would not count if he needed more games than Ruth had had.
So, when Roger Maris hit his 61st in the last game of the longer season, the distinction did not displace Ruth in the record books but was merely listed along with The Babe's lesser number.
This all became moot in 1998 when Mark McGwire hit his 62nd homer, there to be graciously greeted by Maris' family survivors –– and, of course, Sammy Sosa then three times topped Maris, and Barry Bonds hit 73 in 2001.
Subsequently, McGwire admitted to using performance enhancing drugs, and the only people who don't assume the same of Bonds and Sosa also believe that Neil Armstrong's moon landing was a hoax and that Ford Frick was a wise man.
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