1972 Topps #456 Mark Belanger
About Mark Belanger
Earl Weaver gave many of the 1972 middle-infield at-bats to newcomer Bobby Grich, and Belanger's own fell to 285. He hit .186 with two home runs and 16 RBI. After the season the Orioles traded second baseman Davey Johnson and installed Grich there, handing Belanger his full-time job back. His Topps card that year, #456 in the fourth series, lists him with the Orioles.
Mark Belanger spent 17 seasons with Baltimore and one with the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning eight Gold Gloves at shortstop and a World Series championship with the 1970 Orioles. His tall, narrow frame earned him the nickname The Blade. Baltimore signed him out of Pittsfield High School in 1962 for $35,000, and he reached the majors as a pinch-runner on August 7, 1965. Across 18 seasons he collected 1,316 hits and batted .228. He served as the Orioles' player representative, took part in the 1981 strike negotiations and worked for the players' association after retiring. Baltimore inducted him into its team Hall of Fame in 1983.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 179 | 8 | 45 | 86 | 23 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-10-19. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
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Related cards
Team card: #731 Baltimore Orioles
More Baltimore Orioles cards:
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- #70 Mike Cuellar
- #86 1971 A.L. Batting Leaders
- #88 1971 A.L. R.B.I. Leaders
- #92 1971 A.L. E.R.A. Leaders
- #100 Frank Robinson
- #128 Eddie Watt
- #140 Pat Dobson
- #212 Grant Jackson
- #222 1971 A.L. Playoffs: Orioles Champs!
- #223 1971 World Series Game No. 1
- #224 1971 World Series Game No. 2
- #228 1971 World Series Game No. 6
- #235 Merv Rettenmund
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #456 card?
It is card #456 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Mark Belanger of the Baltimore Orioles.
How many cards are in the 1972 Topps Baseball set?
787 cards, tracked as 794 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 787 with none skipped, in six print series (#1-132, #133-263, #264-394, #395-525, #526-656 and #657-787, the high numbers); 7 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - four Chicago Cubs cards with yellow or green under the "C" and "S" of the team name, the #251 and #478 checklists with smaller or larger print on the front, and the #604 checklist with its copyright line aligned right or left.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, BaseballCardPedia, Cardboard Connection, Baseball Almanac, Baseball-Reference, the SABR BioProject and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, PSA & SGC population reports. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-10-25.