Former Orioles shortstop Belanger dies at 54
Posted: Tuesday October 06, 1998 09:56 PM
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Belanger played for the Orioles from 1965-81 AP |
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Mark Belanger, one of the best fielding shortstops of
his generation and a key figure in the baseball players' union, died of
lung cancer Tuesday at 54.
A heavy smoker until he quit around 1990, he was diagnosed with the
disease about a year ago.
Belanger won eight Gold Gloves with the Baltimore Orioles, his
team from 1965-81, and six of them were consecutive, 1973-78. Brooks
Robinson, with 16 Gold Gloves, is the only Orioles player to have more.
Belanger, who ended his career in 1982 with the Los Angeles Dodgers,
had a lifetime batting average of only .228, but his weak hitting was more
than offset by his glove. Nicknamed Blade, he had a lifetime .977 fielding
percentage, eighth among shortstops.
Belanger played on Baltimore's 1970 World Series championship team and
on four pennant winners and six division champions.
He was a union representative as a player and after he retired he became
a key figure in the Major League Baseball Players Association as the
longtime assistant to union head Donald Fehr.
"He paved the way for all the contracts and all the rights players have
today," said pitcher David Cone, the
New York Yankees'
player representative. "He was tough, no nonsense, stepped on some toes
along the way and also made friends along the way. He will be dearly
missed."
Belanger helped keep players united during a two-day strike in 1985, a
32-day lockout in 1990 and a 230-day strike that wiped out the end of the
1994 season, the entire postseason and the first three weeks of the 1995
schedule.
"Players who shared the field with Mark and those who have come along
since owe a debt of gratitude to him," Fehr said. "I personally miss the
wisdom and insight he provided on virtually every important decision the
MLBPA has made over the last three decades.
"He stood up for players' rights in the early days of the MLBPA and his
clear-sighted, unflinching leadership was instrumental during the 16 years
he served the union."
Former teammate Eddie Murray
said he was privileged to have worked with Belanger, calling him "special."
Terry Crowley, another former teammate, said everyone knew Belanger as a
great infielder, but that he was also a good friend.
"Even more important than that, he was a wonderful father," said
Crowley, a hitting coach with the Minnesota Twins for the
past eight seasons who was appointed to the same position with the Orioles
on Tuesday. "Our sons played baseball together and he coached basketball
during the winter."
Belanger is survived by his wife, Virginia; sons Robert and Richard; his
parents; a brother; and two sisters. Robert Belanger sang the national
anthem a year ago for the American League championship series against the
Cleveland Indians.
Funeral plans were pending. In lieu of flowers, the family asked that
donations be made to the Alliance for Lung Cancer Advocacy Support and
Education.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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