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11. Mark Belanger

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11. Mark Belanger
  1. General
  2. Awards
  3. Career Stats
  • Born: June 8, 1944 in Pittsfield, MA USA
  • Weight: 170 lbs.
  • Height: 6'1"
  • Bats: R
  • Throws: R
  • Debut: August 07, 1965
  • Final Game: October 02, 1982
  • Gold Glove - 1969
  • Gold Glove - 1971
  • Gold Glove - 1973
  • Gold Glove - 1974
  • Gold Glove - 1975
  • Gold Glove - 1976
  • TSN All-Star - 1976
  • Gold Glove - 1977
  • Gold Glove - 1978
  • MVP - 1969
  • MVP - 1973
  • MVP - 1974
 
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The Baltimore Orioles of the 1960s and 1970s were loaded with defensive talent, and while Brooks Robinson may have received the most attention, Mark Belanger could match him play for play.

Belanger played at Shortstop and was with the Orioles from 1965 to 1981, and other than a final year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he was a career Oriole.  Belanger would win eight Gold Gloves, and from 1973 to 1978, he was the annual leader in Defensive bWAR and was a three-time overall leader in Total Zone Runs.

As good as he was with his defense, he was an abysmal offensive player.  Over 1,962 Games, he has a Slash Line of .227/.300/.280, and thus was an offensive liability.  He still eked out 1,304 Hits and had a Home Run in the 1969 ALCS, and batted .333 in the 1970 version.  That team went on to win the World Series that year.

As of this writing, Belanger is second all-time in Defensive bWAR (39.5) behind only Ozzie Smith.

The Orioles selected Belanger for their Hall of Fame in 1983.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Short Stop
  • Acquired: Signed as an Amateur Free Agent 6/19/62.
  • Departed: Signed as a Free Agent by the Los Angeles Dodgers 12/11/81.
  • Games Played: 1962
  • Notable Statistics: 670 Runs Scored
    1,304 Hits
    174 Doubles
    33 Triples
    20 Home Runs
    385 Runs Batted In
    166 Stolen Bases
    .227/.300/.280 Slash Line
    40.8 bWAR

    43 Playoff Games
    17 Runs Scored
    23 Hits
    0 Doubles
    2 Triples
    1 Home Run
    7 Runs Batted In
    1 Stolen Base
    .183/.270/.238 Slash Line
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    World Series Champion (1970)
    All-Star (1976)
    Gold Glove (1969, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 & 1978)
    Highest Defensive bWAR (1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 & 1978)
    Most Sacrifice Hits (1973 & 1975)
    Most Total Zone Runs (1975, 1977 & 1978)
    Most Assists (1973, 1974 & 1976)
    Most Assists by a Shortstop (1973, 1974 & 1976)
    Most Double Plays by a Shortstop (1975)
    Most Total Zone Runs by a Shortstop (1968, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 & 1978)
    Highest Range Factor per Game by a Shortstop (1974)
    Highest Fielding Percentage by a Shortstop (1974, 1977 & 1978)
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