The "
M&M Boys" is the nickname given to the
New York Yankees baseball players
Mickey Mantle and
Roger Maris, who were teammates from 1960 to 1966. The nickname gained prominence during the
1961 season, when Maris and Mantle, batting third and
cleanup (fourth) in the Yankee lineup respectively, both challenged
Babe Ruth's 34-year-old single-season record of 60
home runs. The home run lead would change hands between the two teammates numerous times throughout the summer and fueled intense scrutiny of the players by the press. Maris eventually broke the record when he hit his 61st home run on the final day of the season, while Mantle hit 54 before he was forced to pull out of the lineup in September because of an abscessed hip.