Mark Belanger was born on Thursday, June 8, 1944, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Belanger was 21 years old when he broke into the big leagues on August 7, 1965, with the Baltimore Orioles. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Mark Belanger baseball stats page.
"The most electrifying defensive shortstop of his generation, Mark Belanger set the standard by anchoring a great Baltimore Orioles infield for most of fourteen seasons. During this stretch, Baltimore won ninety or more games twelve times with seven postseason appearances capped by the 1970 world championship. Belanger and Ozzie Smith are the only shortstops to retire with fielding averages over .975 while averaging more than five fielding chances per game. Belanger used two tiny black gloves per season and broke them in with spit and coffee. He got upset if anybody touched them. Watching him have a catch with a teammate on a the sidelines was striking. He never seemed to actually catch a ball; rather he redirected them into his throwing hand. Sports Illustrated once write: 'Belanger would glide effortlessly after a grounder and welcome it into loving arms; scooping the ball up with a single easy motion, and bringing it to his chest for a moment's caress before making his throw." - Armour, Mark. Author. Pitching, Defense, and Three-Run Homers: The 1970 Baltimore Orioles. University of Nebraska Press. 1 May 2012. Page 145.
Mark Belanger![]() Mark 'The Blade' Belanger Autograph on a 1981 Fleer Baseball Card (#175) |
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Mark BelangerMark Belanger Pitching Stats |
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| Year | Age | Team | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
| - | - | Did Not Pitch | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Career | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD | ||
Mark BelangerMark Belanger Hitting Stats |
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| Year | Age | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 1965 | 21 | Orioles | 11 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .333 | .333 |
| 1966 | 22 | Orioles | 8 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .158 | .158 | .211 |
| 1967 | 23 | Orioles | 69 | 184 | 19 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 12 | 1 | 46 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .174 | .224 | .217 |
| 1968 | 24 | Orioles | 145 | 472 | 40 | 98 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 40 | 2 | 114 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 9 | .208 | .272 | .248 |
| 1969 | 25 | Orioles | 150 | 530 | 76 | 152 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 50 | 53 | 5 | 54 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 13 | .287 | .351 | .345 |
| 1970 | 26 | Orioles | 145 | 459 | 53 | 100 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 52 | 3 | 65 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 4 | .218 | .303 | .259 |
| 1971 | 27 | Orioles | 150 | 500 | 67 | 133 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 73 | 6 | 48 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 9 | .266 | .365 | .320 |
| 1972 | 28 | Orioles | 113 | 285 | 36 | 53 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 18 | 1 | 53 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | .186 | .236 | .246 |
| 1973 | 29 | Orioles | 154 | 470 | 60 | 106 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 49 | 1 | 54 | 15 | 5 | 5 | 9 | .226 | .302 | .262 |
| 1974 | 30 | Orioles | 155 | 493 | 54 | 111 | 14 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 36 | 51 | 0 | 69 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 4 | .225 | .298 | .300 |
| 1975 | 31 | Orioles | 152 | 442 | 44 | 100 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 36 | 0 | 53 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .226 | .286 | .276 |
| 1976 | 32 | Orioles | 153 | 522 | 66 | 141 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 51 | 0 | 64 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | .270 | .336 | .326 |
| 1977 | 33 | Orioles | 144 | 402 | 39 | 83 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 43 | 1 | 68 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 7 | .206 | .287 | .274 |
| 1978 | 34 | Orioles | 135 | 348 | 39 | 74 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 40 | 1 | 55 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 | .213 | .299 | .250 |
| 1979 | 35 | Orioles | 101 | 198 | 28 | 33 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 29 | 0 | 33 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 3 | .167 | .273 | .217 |
| 1980 | 36 | Orioles | 113 | 268 | 37 | 61 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 12 | 0 | 25 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .228 | .261 | .276 |
| 1981 | 37 | Orioles | 64 | 139 | 9 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .165 | .242 | .237 |
| 1982 | 38 | Dodgers | 54 | 50 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .240 | .309 | .260 |
| Career | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG | ||
| 18 Years | 2,016 | 5,784 | 676 | 1,316 | 175 | 33 | 20 | 0 | 389 | 576 | 22 | 839 | 155 | 45 | 42 | 83 | .228 | .300 | .280 | ||
Mark BelangerMark Belanger Fielding Stats |
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| Team | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
| 1965 Orioles | SS | 4 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 0.5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 3.60 |
| 1966 Orioles | SS | 6 | 4 | 132 | 29 | 4.8 | 29 | 9 | 20 | 0 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 5.93 |
| 1967 Orioles | 2B | 26 | 10 | 355 | 74 | 2.8 | 73 | 33 | 40 | 1 | 6 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .986 | 5.55 |
| 1967 Orioles | 3B | 2 | 0 | 21 | 6 | 3.0 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 7.71 |
| 1967 Orioles | SS | 38 | 33 | 932 | 167 | 4.4 | 159 | 65 | 94 | 8 | 17 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .952 | 4.61 |
| 1968 Orioles | SS | 145 | 142 | 3,702 | 714 | 4.9 | 692 | 248 | 444 | 22 | 73 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .969 | 5.05 |
| 1969 Orioles | SS | 148 | 144 | 3,883 | 723 | 4.9 | 700 | 251 | 449 | 23 | 79 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .968 | 4.87 |
| 1970 Orioles | SS | 143 | 125 | 3,451 | 643 | 4.5 | 624 | 212 | 412 | 19 | 78 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .970 | 4.88 |
| 1971 Orioles | SS | 149 | 142 | 3,835 | 739 | 5.0 | 723 | 280 | 443 | 16 | 77 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .978 | 5.09 |
| 1972 Orioles | SS | 105 | 86 | 2,305 | 477 | 4.5 | 465 | 180 | 285 | 12 | 53 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .975 | 5.45 |
| 1973 Orioles | SS | 154 | 145 | 3,926 | 794 | 5.2 | 771 | 241 | 530 | 23 | 100 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .971 | 5.30 |
| 1974 Orioles | SS | 155 | 153 | 4,125 | 808 | 5.2 | 795 | 243 | 552 | 13 | 100 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .984 | 5.20 |
| 1975 Orioles | SS | 152 | 138 | 3,787 | 784 | 5.2 | 767 | 259 | 508 | 17 | 105 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .978 | 5.47 |
| 1976 Orioles | SS | 153 | 148 | 3,986 | 798 | 5.2 | 784 | 239 | 545 | 14 | 97 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .982 | 5.31 |
| 1977 Orioles | SS | 142 | 122 | 3,267 | 671 | 4.7 | 661 | 244 | 417 | 10 | 82 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .985 | 5.46 |
| 1978 Orioles | SS | 134 | 109 | 2,956 | 602 | 4.5 | 593 | 184 | 409 | 9 | 76 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .985 | 5.42 |
| 1979 Orioles | SS | 98 | 54 | 1,715 | 308 | 3.1 | 305 | 110 | 195 | 3 | 38 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .990 | 4.80 |
| 1980 Orioles | SS | 109 | 75 | 2,189 | 401 | 3.7 | 391 | 133 | 258 | 10 | 49 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .975 | 4.82 |
| 1981 Orioles | SS | 63 | 49 | 1,308 | 255 | 4.0 | 248 | 86 | 162 | 7 | 21 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .973 | 5.12 |
| 1982 Dodgers | 2B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 9.00 |
| 1982 Dodgers | SS | 44 | 12 | 498 | 86 | 2.0 | 82 | 20 | 62 | 4 | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .953 | 4.45 |
| Career | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
| SS Totals | 1,942 | 1,681 | 46,012 | 9,001 | 4.6 | 8,791 | 3,005 | 5,786 | 210 | 1,054 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .977 | 5.16 | |
| 2B Totals | 27 | 10 | 358 | 75 | 2.8 | 74 | 33 | 41 | 1 | 6 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .987 | 5.58 | |
| 3B Totals | 2 | 0 | 21 | 6 | 3.0 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 7.71 | |
| 18 Years | 1,971 | 1,691 | 46,391 | 9,082 | 4.6 | 8,871 | 3,040 | 5,831 | 211 | 1,061 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .977 | 5.16 | |
Mark BelangerMark Belanger Miscellaneous Stats |
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| Baserunning Statistics | Other Positions | Common Hitting Ratios | Common Pitching Ratios | |||||||||
| Team | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
| 1965 Orioles | 0 | 1 | .000 | 0 | 7 | n/a | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | - | - | - |
| 1966 Orioles | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 3 | n/a | 0.0 | 6.3 | 0.0 | - | - | - |
| 1967 Orioles | 6 | 1 | .857 | 3 | 7 | n/a | 184.0 | 4.0 | 18.4 | - | - | - |
| 1968 Orioles | 10 | 1 | .909 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 236.0 | 4.1 | 22.5 | - | - | - |
| 1969 Orioles | 14 | 6 | .700 | 3 | 0 | n/a | 265.0 | 9.8 | 10.6 | - | - | - |
| 1970 Orioles | 13 | 2 | .867 | 3 | 3 | n/a | 459.0 | 7.1 | 12.8 | - | - | - |
| 1971 Orioles | 10 | 8 | .556 | 1 | 1 | n/a | 0.0 | 10.4 | 14.3 | - | - | - |
| 1972 Orioles | 6 | 3 | .667 | 1 | 15 | n/a | 142.5 | 5.4 | 17.8 | - | - | - |
| 1973 Orioles | 13 | 6 | .684 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 8.7 | 17.4 | - | - | - |
| 1974 Orioles | 17 | 7 | .708 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 98.6 | 7.1 | 13.7 | - | - | - |
| 1975 Orioles | 16 | 4 | .800 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 147.3 | 8.3 | 16.4 | - | - | - |
| 1976 Orioles | 27 | 17 | .614 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 522.0 | 8.2 | 13.1 | - | - | - |
| 1977 Orioles | 15 | 8 | .652 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 201.0 | 5.9 | 13.4 | - | - | - |
| 1978 Orioles | 6 | 6 | .500 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 6.3 | 21.8 | - | - | - |
| 1979 Orioles | 5 | 1 | .833 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0.0 | 6.0 | 22.0 | - | - | - |
| 1980 Orioles | 6 | 3 | .667 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0.0 | 10.7 | 12.2 | - | - | - |
| 1981 Orioles | 2 | 1 | .667 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 139.0 | 5.6 | 13.9 | - | - | - |
| 1982 Dodgers | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 4 | 10 | n/a | 0.0 | 5.0 | 12.5 | - | - | - |
| Career | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
| 18 Years | 167 | 75 | .690 | 22 | 85 | 0 | 289.2 | 6.9 | 14.9 | - | - | - |
Mark BelangerMark Belanger Miscellaneous Items of Interest |
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| Team | Roster | Uniform Numbers | Salary | All-Star | World Series |
| 1965 Baltimore Orioles | 33 | Undetermined | - | - |
| 1966 Baltimore Orioles | 7 | Undetermined | - | - |
| 1967 Baltimore Orioles | 7 | Undetermined | - | - |
| 1968 Baltimore Orioles | 7 | Undetermined | - | - |
| 1969 Baltimore Orioles | 7 | Undetermined | - | Stats |
| 1970 Baltimore Orioles | 7 | Undetermined | - | Stats |
| 1971 Baltimore Orioles | 7 | Undetermined | - | Stats |
| 1972 Baltimore Orioles | 7 | Undetermined | - | - |
| 1973 Baltimore Orioles | 7 | Undetermined | - | - |
| 1974 Baltimore Orioles | 7 | Undetermined | - | - |
| 1975 Baltimore Orioles | 7 | Undetermined | - | - |
| 1976 Baltimore Orioles | 7 | $60,000.00 | Stats | - |
| 1977 Baltimore Orioles | 7 | $140,000.00 | - | - |
| 1978 Baltimore Orioles | 7 | Undetermined | - | - |
| 1979 Baltimore Orioles | 7 | Undetermined | - | Stats |
| 1980 Baltimore Orioles | 7 | Undetermined | - | - |
| 1981 Baltimore Orioles | 7 | Undetermined | - | - |
| 1982 Los Angeles Dodgers | 8 | Undetermined | - | - |
| Mark Belanger Stats by Baseball Almanac | ||||

Mark Belanger (SS) and Davey Johnson (2B) each won a Gold Glove with the Baltimore Orioles in 1969, and 1971, only the fourth pair of middle infielders in Major League history to both receive the honor during the same season. Belanger then teamed-up with Bobby Grich, a double-play combination with the Orioles that each won Gold Gloves a Major League record four consecutive seasons (1973-1976). No franchise has ever more double play combinations win during the same season than Baltimore, and all six included Mark!

Mark Belanger Rookie Card | 1967 Topps Baseball Card (#558 | Checklist)
Baseball Almanac Research Library
In The New Bill James Historical Abstract (James, Bill, Free Press Publishing, 13 June 2003, Page 283), the BEST Double Play Combination of the 1970s (the entire decade), went to Mark Belanger and Bobby Grich! James also ranked Belanger the fifty-second greatest shortstop in Major League Baseball history!

Bobby Grich & Mark Belanger | Baltimore Orioles Double Play Combination
Did you know that Mark Belanger, the ideal personification of a no-hit / good-field middle infielder, finished his big league career with the second lowest batting average (.227) in American League history? Only one junior circuit player with at least five thousand at-bats had a lower average (.224) — do you know who was it? [Answer]