Edition: U.S. / Global  BASEBALL; Simply Recalling Mr. Maris
Published: September 6, 1998  Roger Maris was not a subtle man
but he might have appreciated some of the nuances of the current
home run derby, particularly the controversy over Mark McGwire's
use of testosterone-boosting pills and the second-banana status
of Sammy Sosa. As a decent man, Maris would not have wished the
Curse of the Bambino on the next home run king, although he
would have appreciated having it finally lifted from his own
crew-cut head.  ''I often wonder what my baseball career would
have been had I not hit the 61,'' Maris said in 1984, a year
before he died. ''Because after that point, it was no fun
anymore. It's not even fun to talk about.''  I asked him why he
was talking about it.  Thoughtful, earnest, he nodded and said:
''You know, there's going to be other kids who will go into the
game like I went into the game, thinking you're going to get
credit for what you do. I think a lot of times how much nicer
things could have been