Roger Maris

Roger Maris, the stoic slugger who etched his name in baseball history by surpassing Babe Ruth's single-season home run record in 1961, was a man of quiet determination. His incredible feat, reaching 61 dingers in a grueling 162-game season, captivated the nation and cemented his place among baseball's immortals.

Despite the frequent whispers and occasional wishful thinking that he might have been "one of us," Maris was, in fact, of Croatian and Norwegian descent, a son of North Dakota, and a lifelong Catholic. So, while his name might have occasionally tripped up a few bubbes, his lineage firmly places him outside the tribe.

Nevertheless, his athletic prowess and the sheer chutzpah it took to chase down and ultimately best one of baseball's most sacred records certainly bring a certain degree of kvell-worthiness, even if it's of the honorary, gentile variety. He faced immense pressure, even death threats, and handled it with remarkable grace and grit, making his achievement all the more impressive.