Mark Belanger
Position: Shortstop
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-1, 170lb (185cm, 77kg)
Born: June 8, 1944 in Pittsfield, MA
Died: October 6, 1998 in New York, NY
Buried: St. Joseph Cemetery, Pittsfield, MA
High School: Pittsfield HS (Pittsfield, MA)
Debut: August 7, 1965 (12,397th in major league history)
vs. KCA 0 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game: October 2, 1982
vs. SFG 1 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB
Full Name: Mark Henry Belanger
Nicknames: The Blade
Pronunciation: buh-LAN-jer
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Nine Players Who Debuted in 1965
Lee May
Mark Belanger
Bobby Murcer
Roy White
Steve Carlton
Tug McGraw
Fergie Jenkins
Jim Palmer
Catfish Hunter
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Biography
When the Orioles traded shortstop Luis Aparicio after the 1967 season, they replaced him with his roommate, Belanger. The slender “Blade” didn’t relinquish the position until 1982. An eight-time Gold Glove winner, he played in 43 postseason games during a decade of strong Baltimore teams and holds several ALCS defensive records for shortstops. Seldom spectacular, Belanger rarely fielded a ball one-handed or sidearmed a throw, but he moved around short with sure-handed ease and grace. Although an unimpressive hitter, he had the distinction of swatting a home run in the first ALCS game played, versus Minnesota (10/4/69). That year was his best offensively, as he hit .287 with 50 RBI.
Granted free agency after 1981, Belanger signed with the Dodgers for his final season. A longtime player representative with Baltimore, he became a special assistant with the Major League Baseball Players’ Association after retiring as a player.@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiTGVhcm4gTW9yZSBhYm91dCB0aGUgdGVhbXMsIHBsYXllcnMsIGJhbGwgcGFya3MgYW5kIGV2ZW50cyB0aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIG9uIHRoaXMgZGF0ZSBpbiBoaXN0b3J5IC0gLSAtIC0gLSAtIC0gIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6InBvc3RfdGFnIn19@
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