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The M & M Boys assault on Babe
Ruth's 1927 single-season home run
record in 1961, sparked a marketing
frenzy the following year. Beginning in
April of 1962, retail outlets across
the country offered Mickey Mantle and
Roger Maris merchandise which included;
sweaters, robes, underwear, pajamas,
hosiery, beach and play clothing, dress
shirts, sport shirts, sweat shirts,
sneakers, dress and play shoes, all
bearing an emblem showing two players
swinging at an oversized baseball
inscribed with: “Mantle - Maris Wear.”
Mantle and Maris received $40.000 each from the
parent merchandising firm, predicting
sales would gross at least $25,000,000
in the first year. Mantle and Maris
would receive royalties at the rate of
1.25 per cent each, their return would
amount to $312,500 apiece. The contract
binding them to this lode of potential
wealth was
for one year.
In 1962 Norwich sold
Mickey Mantle & Roger Maris T-Shirts
with silkscreened artwork depicting
images of both Mantle & Maris in a
batting stance, head shots, and
accompanied by their facsimile
signatures. Sweat shirts were also
available. That same year they
produced "Mantle-Maris Wear" Boys
Briefs. The plastic bag package
contained two 100% cotton briefs for
boys, and featured top half pictures of
Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris in a
batting stance, with their facsimile
signatures. Norwich
also produced crew Socks were
also produced that were sold with a
free photo.
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