From the Vaults: Mark Belanger
Apropos of nothing in particular, other than the coming onset of Spring Training, here’s a nice little piece I found on Mark Belanger, via John Steadman and Baseball Digest…
“Belanger is one of those industrious type individuals who typifies a winning team, sales force or organization. He’s not interested in standing around gathering praise or taking bows.
His total concentration is to accomplish the job at hand, whether it means pivoting across second base in the face of a hard-sliding base runner, breaking to the hole to cut off a base hit or turning his back to the infield and catching a Texas League fly over his shoulder.”
Things ’bout to start heating up soon.
Belanger was a bit before my time, but I couldn’t help but think of Mike Bordick when reading this. Never stellar with the bat, but a defensive stalwart and a cornerstone for the O’s in the late 90s and early 2000s
I liked some of the old-school phrases in there.. like “a 2-1 debate“. Quality.
Today has not been a good day:
Orioles officials have come out to say that Angelos is not shopping the team: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-official-absolutely-no-truth-to-rumors-that-angelos-considering-sale-of-club-20120215,0,5355009.story
And there will be no Kim Seong-Min in Baltimore:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-mlb-doesnt-approve-orioles-signing-of-kim-20120215,0,2095486.story
I do remember Belanger — or “The Blade” as he was later called because of his rail-thin physique. That was quite a defensive infield. I remember some years, though, when there was genuine doubt about whether Belanger or Palmer would have a higher batting average. Of course, back then, most shortstops weren’t expected to both field and hit, and the former was considered far more important.
@ PW:
Actually, I think the O’s will just sign him again after 30 days. I read that a similar thing happened to the Angels a few years ago. MLB sends a message by voiding the deal and fining the club, but it’s largely symbolic. Kim will be an Oriole still, I wager.
@ dan the man:
I hope so. Do they lose their rights to him for the time being? Could another team come in and sweep him out from under us?
The lack of due diligence on the part of the Orioles concerns me though. Seems as though this should have been an easy situation to avoid.
@ PW:
Yes, a team can come in and sign him in the meantime, so we’ll see.
It’s a definite bone head move from Duquette – just another one of those things that happens to the Orioles.
Someone on the radio this morning pointed out that DD actually said in regards to Kim, “Well, he’s almost 18″ or on the better half of 17 or something. Which is the same thing Lawrence Taylor said when he was accused of statutory rape.
Jesus, Danny boy really is clueless
ya’ll are insane.
@ Big Ben’s Motorcycle: It’s comments like this one that warm my heart and remind me that baseball season really and truly is nearly upon us. Ahh…
Gonna be a good one here at TLC, too, even if the prospects for Birdland at large remain somewhat dim.
Bowden’s kind of a tool, but here’s his take on the O’s offseason. Gave us a D minus.
“It will take time for new general manager Dan Duquette to get re-acclimated to being a GM after a decade layoff. The Orioles’ moves this offseason were as puzzling as they were ineffective. They spent more than $20 million on unproven international pitchers and signed a DH who hits only against right-handers. Guthrie’s 200 innings were traded to the Rockies for a demoted starter and setup reliever, leaving manager Buck Showalter with perhaps the biggest challenge of his career.”
I really can’t disagree with this. From an outsider’s perspective, it just looks completely ridiculous. Good for me to take a step back and get a glimpse of the truly massive mountain to be climbed here.