Ken McMullen had a 16-year career (1962-1977), mostly with the LA Dodgers and the Washington Senators. McMullen was signed by the Dodgers in 1960 for $60,000. Ken played in the minors in 1961 and in 1962. He got his first taste of big league action at the end of the 1962 season and went 3 for 11 (.273) in six games.
Ken started the 1963 season with the Dodgers but was sent down in early May after starting the season with a .203 average. McMullen came back up in late June and ended up batting .238 with five HR and 28 RBI in 79 games.
In 1964 McMullen started with the Dodgers but was sent down after batting .209 in 24 games. McMullen didn't come back to the Dodgers and he was traded to the Washington Senators as part of the big deal that sent Frank Howard to Washington and brought the Dodgers Claude Osteen and $100,000.
McMullen got a chance to play in Washington and spent the next five seasons as the Senators' starting third baseman. Ken batted .263 with 18 HR and 54 RBI for Washington in 1965. In 1966 McMullen batted .233 with 13 HR and 54 RBI. Ken started at 3B for three more seasons and had seasons of .245, 16 HR, 67 RBI (1967), .248, 20 HR, 62 RBI (1968), and .272, 19 HR, 87 RBI (1969).
Ken started the 1970 season with the Senators (.203 in 15 games) but was traded to the California Angels for Rick Reichardt and Aurelio Rodriguez on April 27. McMullen batted .232 with 14 HR and 61 RBI for the Angels in 1970.
McMullen started at third base for the Angels for the next two seasons. Ken batted .250 with 21 HR and 68 RBI in 1971 and batted .269 with nine HR and 34 RBI in 1972. After the 1972 season McMullen was traded with Andy Messersmith to the Dodgers for Billy Grabarkewitz, Frank Robinson, Bill Singer, Mike Strahler and Bobby Valentine.
Ken was used as a pinch hitter and a backup for the rest of his career. He batted .247 in 85 AB in 1973 and .250 in 16 AB in 1974. McMullen struck out in his only at bat in the 1974 NLCS. Ken's wife died just before the 1974 season and the Dodgers wore black armbands for the first few games of the season (including April 8 when Henry Aaron set the all-time home run record) in her honor.
In 1975 Ken batted .239 in 46 at bats. He didn't make the Dodgers club in 1976 and was released during spring training.
Just before the 1976 season McMullen signed with the Oakland A's. Ken batted .220 with five HR and 23 RBI in 186 AB for the A's in 1976 and was sold to the Milwaukee Brewers before the 1977 season. Ken batted .228 with five HR and 19 RBI in 136 AB in 1977 and was released after the season. In his last major league at bat on September 14 Ken made a pinch hitting appearance and homered.
Ken now serves on the Los Angeles Dodgers' Legend Bureau
Liked to face: Paul Lindblad (.520 in 25 AB); Lee Stange (.471 in 34 AB); Bill Monbouquette (.458 in 24 AB)
Hated to face: Moe Drabowsky/Hoyt Wilhelm (.056 in 18 AB); Bruce Howard (.071 in 28 AB)
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