Mark Belanger

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Belanger's tenure with the Orioles created one of the most impenetrable infields in baseball history. Alongside third baseman Brooks Robinson, who won Gold Gloves from 1960 to 1975, and center fielder Paul Blair, the defense was described by Detroit manager Mayo Smith as being like "trying to throw a hamburger through a brick wall." Belanger joined a select group of shortstop-second baseman duos winning Gold Gloves simultaneously with Davey Johnson in 1969 and 1971, and Bobby Grich from 1973 to 1976. His defensive value was immense; he is tied with Ozzie Smith and Joe Tinker for the most times leading a league in defensive Wins Above Replacement (six). Despite his poor hitting—finishing last in AL Triple Crown categories in 1970—he found success against elite pitchers, batting .421 against Goose Gossage and .353 against Ron Perranoski. His defensive records for franchise games, assists, and double plays stood until broken by Cal Ripken Jr.

In Their Own Story

On June 3, 1977, Belanger executed what sportswriter Fred Rothenberg called "one of the strangest triple plays in baseball history." With the bases loaded for the Royals in the ninth inning and Kansas City down 7–5, Pat Kelly caught a fly ball. Runners advanced, but Kelly threw to Belanger, who caught Freddie Patek in a rundown between first and second. As Belanger tagged Patek, Dave Nelson attempted to score from third. Belanger ran toward the third base line, caught up with Nelson ten feet from home plate, and tagged him out to complete the triple play and end the game. Another pivotal moment occurred during the 1970 World Series; in Game 1, with the tying run on first, Belanger caught a line drive to secure a 4–3 victory, later adding an assist to end Game 3. These moments cemented his reputation as a clutch defender who could single-handedly shift momentum.

Reader's Guide

Belanger took over as the Orioles' regular shortstop in late 1967 from Luis Aparicio and held the position for more than a decade. His career began with a $35,000 signing bonus in 1962 after playing at Pittsfield High School, where he scored 1,455 points in basketball. He made his MLB debut as a pinch runner on August 7, 1965, and hit his first home run on May 14, 1967, off Mel Stottlemyre—the same game Mickey Mantle hit his 500th. Although known for a .228 lifetime batting average, he was named to the All-Star team in 1976 and finished 29th in MVP voting in 1969 with a career-best .287 average. He set league playoff records for games, putouts, assists, total chances, and double plays by a shortstop during six ALCS appearances. After signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1982 following a public rift with manager Earl Weaver, he retired. In 1983, he was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame.

Did You Know?

• Belanger was nicknamed 'the Blade' due to his tall, narrow frame of 6 ft 1 in and 170 pounds.
• In 1970, he finished last among qualifying AL players in all three Triple Crown categories (batting average, home runs, RBIs).
• He was granted free agency in 1981 partly due to public criticism of manager Earl Weaver before signing with the Dodgers for his final season.
• Belanger held the American League record for most times pinch-hit for at retirement, having been replaced 333 times.