Ken McMullen, shown here on card 47 of
the 1967 Topps set, was entering his third full season with the
Senators in 1967. He pretty much had the third base spot secured and
was looking to keep it. Ken managed to do just that.
Over the 146 games he appeared in, Ken
McMullen played 1,312 innings at third base and none anywhere else on
defense. He made just 18 errors in 519 chances for a .965 fielding
percentage. That was good for ten points above the league average.
Ken's range continued to be significantly higher than the league
average as well. Those numbers weren't in Brooks Robinson territory
but they were good enough for McMullen to be considered one of the
top defensive third basemen in the Majors.
On offense Ken made 619 trips to the
plate. That was easily the most on the team, even more than Frank
Howard. Ken's .245 batting average was third best among Washington
regulars and his 46 walks managed to bump his on-base percentage up
to .301. McMullen still had moderate power, his .377 slugging
percentage was tied for second best in the starting lineup. He hit 22
doubles (best on the team), two triples, and 16 home runs (best on
the team among players not named Frank Howard).
All in all, 1967 was a successful
season for Ken McMullen. He continued his great defense and his
production at the plate continued as well. The Senators would have
liked to see more pop from him offensively but it was nice to have
third base covered well for the past three seasons. Things were
looking up. If he could avoid injury and stay consistent, Ken
McMullen and the Senators had nothing to worry about at third base in
1968.
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