Forty years ago, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle were in the midst of one of the most famous, and fierce, home run races in baseball history.

By July it was clear that both New York Yankee outfielders seemed capable of breaking Babe Ruth's then-record of 60 home runs in a season. Most of New York, and the nation, was rooting for Mantle, New York's Golden Boy, and let Maris, a quiet, Kansas City farm boy, know it.

After Mantle wound up in the hospital after a bad reaction to an experimental shot, Maris went on to break the record, hitting his 61st home run on the final day of the season.

Clete Boyer was the starting third baseman for that Yankees team in '61, and before signing autographs at Mickey's Place in Cooperstown Tuesday afternoon, he spoke of his memories of that season.

"I think most of the older guys on that team were rooting for Mickey to win the race, but we wanted both of them to break the record," said Boyer, also the owner of Clete Boyer's Hamburger Hall of Fame just outside Cooperstown. "All the fans were rooting for Mickey too, but I don't think it got bad for Roger until September."

Boyer recalled that after a doubleheader in September when Maris went 1-for-8, a New York writer asked Roger if he thought he was starting to choke.

"That's when Roger blew up and stopped talking to the press," Boyer recalled. "For us, it was something just to be on the same field with them and watch it all happen, but there were two New York writers that really tried to stir up controversy."

Actor and comedian Billy Crystal, an ardent Yankees fan, directed an HBO movie about that season, "61" which debuted earlier this year. Boyer was one of many Yankees from that 1961 club who attended Old Timer's Day at Yankee Stadium on Sunday where members of the 1961 team were honored.

"It's always great to get back together, there's nothing like being a Yankee," Boyer said. "It's hard to believe it's been 40 years."