Early career For the 1868 season, two Cincinnati clubs both acquired four or five players from the east; presumably they were compensated somehow. John McMullin joined the Buckeyes and played
catcher more than any other position. Evidently the second-best team in the west, they proved (fatally) to be second-best in the city behind the
Cincinnati Red Stockings, and did not survive to contest the first openly professional pennant race next season. McMullin returned to his native city, now to be catcher, pitcher, and shortstop for the supreme Athletics. He played 49 of 53 known games in 1869, the leading number, and held his own in the powerful lineup.
Troy Haymakers For the 1870 season at age 21, McMullin became a regular pitcher for the
Haymakers of
Troy, New York, a pro team of average strength, with a powerful lineup but not much pitching. Although there was at least one other regular lefty pitcher on the professional teams of 1870 (
Charlie Pabor of the
Union of Morrisania), McMullin was the only regular left-hand pitcher in the 1871
National Association (the first pro
league season). McMullin started all 29 games of the
1871 Troy Haymakers season and completed 28, including a game against the
Philadelphia Athletics on June 28 which ended with a score of 49–33. In the slugfest, the Troy pitcher gave up all 49 Philadelphia runs (31 of which were
earned) on 42
hits and seven
walks, while striking out none. The lone game McMullin did not complete took place on September 5 against the
Rockford Forest Citys, when he gave up 15 runs (nine earned) in the first eight innings and switched positions with shortstop
Dickie Flowers for the ninth. In total, McMullin pitched 249
innings in 1871 and compiled a 12–15
won–lost record, a 5.53
earned run average, and 12
strikeouts. He gave up the most hits (430), walks (75), and earned runs (153) of any pitcher in the National Association. As a batter, he produced a .279
batting average with 32
runs batted in, and stole 11 bases. After this season, McMullin would be limited to occasional appearances as a pitcher. McMullin made 3 appearances at pitcher during the year, the first being a start on April 24 against the
Washington Nationals, in New York's third game of the season. He pitched a
complete game, gave up eight hits and seven runs (two earned) in nine innings, and was credited with the win. His next pitching appearance came on May 18, when he pitched the last four innings of a 24-6 rout against the
Brooklyn Eckfords. Although the statistic did not exist then, McMullin was retroactively credited with the
save, the only one of his career. McMullin finished the season with a 3.60 ERA in 15 innings. McMullin finished fifth in the league in batting average, and third in on-base percentage. However, his 13 strikeouts tied him with
Johnny Ryan and
Billy Barnie for the most by a batter. Also in 1874, McMullin served as the home plate umpire for a game on October 19 between the
Philadelphia White Stockings and the
Boston Red Stockings.
Philadelphia White Stockings In , McMullin moved to the crosstown
Philadelphia White Stockings. Although his batting average slipped to .257, he continued to hit for power, with nine doubles, four triples, and two home runs among his 57 hits. After not pitching at all the prior year, McMullin made four relief appearances for the Whites, posting a 7.94 ERA in 11.1 innings. McMullin played for and managed a
Philadelphia-based team in the
League Alliance, baseball's first semi-affiliated minor league, in . ==Death==