1982 mark belanger

with cal ripken, jr. waiting to take over, the orioles let longtime shortstop mark belanger become a free agent after the 1981 season. belanger signed a deal with the dodgers, and we got this 1982 o-pee-chee team and text variation card as a result:

here's the topps front:

now the o-pee-chee back:

and the topps back:

tommy lasorda used belanger primarily as a late-inning defensive replacement, although he also pinch hit a few times and got a spot start here and there throughout the year. in all, belanger hit .240 in 57 games, with 12 hits and 4 rbi. he closed out his major league career on october 2 against the giants, with an rbi single off of scott garrelts.

belanger also closes out the 1982 variations, the set from the '80s with the most, i might add - we've now seen all of the variations o-pee-chee had to offer in the 1980s.

voici à vous, mark belanger!