| Ken McMullen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Third baseman | |
| Born: (1942-06-01)June 1, 1942 (age 82) Oxnard, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 17, 1962, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 14, 1977, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .248 |
| Home runs | 156 |
| Runs batted in | 606 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Kenneth Lee McMullen (born June 1, 1942) is an American formerMajor League Baseballthird baseman. Born inOxnard, California,[1][2] he batted and threw right-handed, stood 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall and weighed 190 pounds (86 kg).
McMullen signed with theLos Angeles Dodgers upon graduation fromOxnard High School.[3] After two minor league seasons in which he batted .285 with 42home runs and 177runs batted in, McMullen made his major league debut as a September call-up in1962 at just twenty years old. He collected threehits in elevenat-bats.
He was awarded the starting third base job out ofSpring training1963, but after committing fiveerrors while batting just .205 with one home run and three RBIs through April, he was optioned to triple A Spokane. After ManagerWalter Alston shiftedleft fielderTommy Davis to third,[4] and tried several other players at third base, McMullen was brought back up from Spokane at the end of June. His first major league home run was agrand slam off theSt. Louis Cardinals'Ernie Broglio on theFourth of July.[5] He raised his average to a far more respectable .236 by the end of the season while hitting five home runs with 28 RBIs. He pulled a hamstring on September 26 against theNew York Mets and[6] did not play in the World Series against theNew York Yankees.
He started the1964 season with the Dodgers, but poor fielding and a .209batting average landed him back with theSpokane Indians by the middle of June. At the end of the season, he was traded withFrank Howard,Phil Ortega andPete Richert to theWashington Senators forJohn Kennedy andClaude Osteen.[7]
McMullen won an everyday job batting second forGil Hodges' Senators. Though he led theAmerican League with 22 errors in1965, he soon earned a reputation as one of the slicker fielding third basemen in the AL. On August 13, 1965, he tied an AL record by starting fourdouble plays against theBaltimore Orioles.[8] On September 26,1966, he set an AL record with eleven assists from third against theBoston Red Sox (a mark later tied byMike Ferraro).[9] He led AL third basemen intotal chances over three seasons from1967 to1969, and led AL third basemen indouble plays in 1967 andputouts in 1969.
McMullen had his first career multi-home run game on July 16, 1967.[10] Later in the same month, he embarked on a career-high 19-game hit streak, which saw him hit a game-winning home run to end a twenty inning marathon with theMinnesota Twins on August 9.[11] He batted a career-high .272 while driving in a career-high 87runs in 1969. In all, he clubbed 86 home runs and drove in 327 during five plus seasons with the Senators. Shortly into the1970 season, he was dealt to theCalifornia Angels forRick Reichardt andAurelio Rodríguez.[12]
After a subpar first season inCalifornia, McMullen rebounded in1971 to hit a career-high 21 home runs. On July 17, 1971, McMullen scored from third on asacrifice bunt byBruce Christensen, giving hisrookie teammate his first major league RBI. He had a 17-game hit streak from July 23 to August 16,1972. On November 28, 1972, McMullen was part of a blockbuster trade, as he andAndy Messersmith were sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers forBilly Grabarkewitz,Frank Robinson,Bill Singer,Mike Strahler andBobby Valentine.[13]
McMullen played the1973 season opener at third base, but was soon displaced by rookieRon Cey. From there, he served mostly as apinch hitter, going six-for-nineteen with a walk, two home runs and nine RBIs in that role. He spent two more seasons backing up Cey and pinch hitting in Los Angeles, clubbing a pinch hit grand slam against theSan Diego Padres on April 24,1975.[14] He was released during Spring training1976, but soon after caught on with theOakland Athletics. He spent one season in Oakland, serving primarily as adesignated hitter and pinch hitter.
He spent his final season with theMilwaukee Brewers before retiring. He hit a pinch hit home run against theSeattle Mariners in his final career at bat.[15]
Prior to his1973 season with the Dodgers, McMullen’s wife Bobbie (Goldie McMullen) was diagnosed withbreast cancer. Three months pregnant at the time with the couple’s third child, she declined treatment that could have prematurely terminated herpregnancy. Her cancer treatment began after she gave birth to son Jonathan in November 1973. McMullen was able to continue with his baseball activities because of the insistence of his wife who died on April 6,1974.[16][17] They had four children, Ryan, Tamara, Kenna and Jon.
| Games | PA | AB | Runs | Hits | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | Avg. | Slg. | OBP | Fld% |
| 1583 | 5729 | 5131 | 568 | 1273 | 172 | 26 | 156 | 606 | 20 | 510 | 518 | .248 | .383 | .316 | .965 |
Robbed of the opportunity to play in the1963 World Series by an injury, McMullen returned to the post-season in the twilight of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the1974 National League Championship Series, he struck out against thePittsburgh Pirates'Bruce Kison in his only post-season at-bat.[18]
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