Near the beginning of the season, New York Yankees manager Ralph Houk decided to switch Mantle and Maris around in the batting order, having Maris bat third and Mantle cleanup instead of vice versa. This is cited as an advantage for Maris, as opposition pitchers were reluctant to pitch around him, as this would result in Mantle coming up to the plate to bat. As a result, pitchers gave Maris better pitches to hit for fear of walking him. At first, the batting order switch appeared to have little effect on Maris, who hit only one home run in April. However, he gained momentum in the home run race in May and June, slugging 11 and 15 home runs, respectively. On the other hand, Mantle started off the season strong, hitting 14 home runs by the end of May and 11 homers in June. At the end of June, it became clear that both M&M Boys were on pace to challenge Babe Ruth's 1927 single-season home run record. However, their chances of breaking Ruth's record were dealt a heavy blow on July 17, when Ford Frick, the Commissioner of Baseball, ruled that a player would have to hit more than 60 home runs in 154 games in order to break Ruth's record. Frick, who was a good friend of Ruth and served as his ghostwriter, added that a "distinctive mark" would have to be added should the record be broken after 154 games.