Mark Belanger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mark Belanger |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||
| Shortstop | |||
| Born: June 8, 1944 Pittsfield, Massachusetts, U.S. |
|||
| Died: October 6, 1998 (aged 54) New York, New York, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| August 7, 1965, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 2, 1982, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .228 | ||
| Home runs | 20 | ||
| Runs batted in | 389 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
Mark Henry Belanger (June 8, 1944 – October 6, 1998) was an American professional baseball player and coach. People often called him "the Blade" because he was tall and thin. He played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from 1965 to 1982.
Belanger was a key player for the Baltimore Orioles. This team was very successful, winning many titles between 1966 and 1979. They won six division titles, five American League championships, and two World Series championships. Mark Belanger was known for his amazing defense. He won eight Gold Glove Awards, which are given to the best defensive players. He also set team records for games played, assists, and double plays as a shortstop. Later, Cal Ripken Jr. broke these records. After he stopped playing, Belanger worked for the Major League Baseball Players Association. In 1983, he was honored by being added to the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Start
Mark Belanger was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He went to Pittsfield High School. There, he was great at both baseball and basketball. He was the first person at his school to score 1,000 points in basketball. The Orioles recruited him to play baseball in 1962. He made his first big league appearance with the team on August 7, 1965.
Baseball Career Highlights
Belanger became the Orioles' main shortstop in late 1967. He kept this important position for over ten years. He hit his first Major League home run at Yankee Stadium in 1967. His nickname, "The Blade," came from his tall and thin build. He was 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and weighed 170 pounds (77 kg).
Even though he was one of the best defensive shortstops ever, Belanger was not known for his hitting. He hit only 20 home runs in his 18 seasons. His lifetime batting average was .228. This means he got a hit about 228 times out of every 1,000 chances. Despite this, he sometimes hit well against famous pitchers like Nolan Ryan.
Defensive Excellence
Belanger was an exciting fielder to watch. He won eight AL Gold Gloves, showing he was the best defensive shortstop in the American League. He won these awards in 1969, 1971, and every year from 1973 to 1978. In 1976, he was also chosen to play in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
He often won Gold Gloves at the same time as his teammates. For example, he and Davey Johnson won Gold Gloves together in 1969 and 1971. He also won with Bobby Grich from 1973 to 1976. The Orioles' third baseman, Brooks Robinson, also won a Gold Glove every year from 1960 to 1975. This made the left side of the Orioles' infield incredibly strong in defense.
Playoff Success
Belanger hit a rare home run in the very first American League Championship Series game in 1969. In the 1970 ALCS, he surprisingly hit .333. His good play helped the Orioles win the 1970 World Series. This was the team's second championship in five years.
During the World Series, he made a great play to end Game 1. He caught a line drive with a runner on base, securing a 4–3 win. He also made an important assist to end Game 3. Belanger played in six ALCS series. He set league records for games, putouts, assists, and double plays by a shortstop in the playoffs. Later, Omar Vizquel and Derek Jeter broke these records.
Unusual Triple Play
On June 3, 1977, Belanger was part of a very strange triple play. This happened in the ninth inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals. The Royals had the bases loaded and were losing 7–5. A Royals player hit a fly ball that Pat Kelly caught for the first out. All the runners tried to advance. Kelly threw the ball to Belanger.
Belanger then tagged out one runner who was caught between bases. While this was happening, another runner tried to score from third base. Belanger quickly ran towards home plate and tagged out this second runner. This completed a rare triple play and ended the game!
Belanger became a free agent in 1981. He then signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the 1982 season. He stopped playing baseball at the end of that season. His former teammate, Rich Dauer, said that everyone would miss Mark Belanger. He called him "the greatest shortstop in the world." Dauer explained that Belanger always helped his teammates be in the right place for plays.
Life After Baseball
After retiring as a player, Mark Belanger worked for the Major League Baseball Players Association. This organization helps baseball players. He was a link between the players and the association. He also helped lead talks during the 1981 baseball strike.
Mark Belanger had two sons, Richard and Robert, with his first wife, Daryl. He later married Virginia French in 1997. Mark Belanger passed away in New York City in 1998 at the age of 54. He is buried in St. Joseph Cemetery in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
See also
