Books and articles about Ken McMullen

Signed by the Dodgers for $60,000 in 1960, McMullen got his first real shot at third base when Jim Gilliam moved to second for the 1963 Dodgers. But McMullen hit only .236 and in 1964 Gilliam was moved back to third. That winter McMullen had been part of a blockbuster deal with Washington that sent him, along with Frank Howard, Dick Nen, Phil Ortega, and Pete Richert, to the Senators for Claude Osteen, John Kennedy, and $100,000.

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Finally a regular, he hit 18 HR with a .263 average and proved to be a good fielder at third base, finishing just behind AL leader Clete Boyer in total chances per game (but McMullen led in errors). He was the Senators' everyday third baseman for four more seasons and developed a good batting eye, reaching a career-high .272 in 1969.

McMullen also led the league in total chances per game three straight seasons with Washington (1967-69), in double plays ('67), and in putouts ('69), and tied ML third basemen's records for assists in a nine-inning game (11 on 9/26/66) and double plays started in a nine-inning game (4 on 8/13/65). After a slow start in 1970, McMullen was sent to the Angels at the end of April for Rich Reichardt and Aurelio Rodriguez, and led for the fourth straight season in total chances per game (although he slumped to .229 with 14 HR). He never won a Gold Glove because he played in the same era as Brooks Robinson.

McMullen's last good season came in 1971, when he reached a career high in HR (21). Dropping off to nine HR in 1972, he went back to the Dodgers in another big deal, going with Andy Messersmith in exchange for Frank Robinson, Bill Singer, Bobby Valentine, and two others. After three years spent backing up Ron Cey and pinch hitting, he signed with the A's for 1976 and was a utility man, leading the league in pinch hits (9-for-31). Sold to the Brewers for 1977, he finished his career as a DH/utility man. (JFC)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » May 23, 1951: Mel Parnell gives up four hits in shutting out the Browns, while stroking four hits himself. Ted Williams walks five times in the 12–0 win. Vern Stephens sets an assist record for third baseman, with an assist from SS Johnny Pesky. On the last out of the game, a grounder to Pesky, he flips to Stephens, who fires to 1B to set the record at 10 assists. Frank Malzone will equal the record in 1957 and Ken McMullen will top it in 1966. » December 4, 1964: The Dodgers trade OF Frank Howard, P Phil Ortega, P Pete Richert, and 3B Ken McMullen to the Senators for P Claude Osteen, IF John Kennedy, and cash. » August 15, 1965: Washington 3B Ken McMullen ties an American League record by starting four DPs in a 4–2 win, as the Senators complete a 3-game sweep of Baltimore. » July 2, 1966: Frank Howard, Don Lock, and Ken McMullen hit consecutive home runs with two outs in the 6th inning, and Mike McCormick pitches a complete game, as Washington defeats a winless Whitey Ford and the Yankees, 10–4. Mike McCormick is the winner for Washington, giving up five hits including a Mickey Mantle homer, his 14th, in the 9th. » August 9, 1967: Minnesota's 20-inning 9–7 loss to the Senators is the longest game in Twins history. Ken McMullen's 20th-inning home run wins it for Washington. » September 13, 1969: Detroit is eliminated when they lose to the Senators, 11–6. The Nats score five in the 5th, three coming home on a Ken McMullen homer, one of his four hits in the game. Detroit rallies in the 6th on Willie Horton's 3rd grand slam of the year, but McMullen knocks home another two runs to give Darold Knowles (7-3) the win over Tom Timmermann. » November 28, 1971: In a blockbuster interstate trade good for both teams, the Dodgers send Frank Robinson, Bill Singer, Mike Strahler, Bobby Valentine and Bill Grabarkewitz to the Angels in exchange for Andy Messersmith, and Ken McMullen, who returns to the team that signed him. The 37-year-old Robinson will play 147 games, hitting 30 homers and driving in 97 runs in '73, and Singer will combine with Nolan Ryan in 1973 to strike out 674 batters, a 20th Century major-league record for two teammates. Messersmith will win 39 games in the next two seasons for the Dodgers and finish 2nd in the Cy Young voting in 1974. » November 28, 1972: The Dodgers trade OF Frank Robinson, P Bill Singer, and three others to the Angels for P Andy Messersmith and 3B Ken McMullen. » April 8, 1974: In the 4th inning, of the Braves home opener 7–4 win against the Dodgers, Henry Aaron parks an Al Downing pitch in the left-CF stands for career home run 715, breaking Ruth's once thought to be unapproachable record. With former teammate Eddie Mathews watching as Braves manager, that makes 1,227 home runs for just two players. After Downing walks the next two batters, Mike Marshall makes his first appearance as a Dodger, and the first of a record 106 appearances this year. As noted by Dave Smith, the Dodgers are wearing black arm bands this game (and for the next few) in memory of Ken McMullen's wife, who died just before the season started. » September 14, 1977: In an 8–5 Milwaukee win, veteran Ken McMullen hits a pinch homer for the Brewers in the 8th inning against Seattle's Tom House. The homer, McMullen's 156th, comes on his last ML at bat. He'll be released in December and retire.