Denis Menke

Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1962-1974)

Denis Menke was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1962 to 1974 for 4 teams, including the Milwaukee Braves, a span of 13 seasons. In 1,598 career games, he hit .250 with 1,270 hits, 101 home runs, and 606 RBI. Denis Menke was a 2-time All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 6,721.

AVG (Batting Average):
Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
HR (Home Runs):
Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
RBI (Runs Batted In):
Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.

Data updated

AVG .250
HR 101
RBI 606
H 1,270
OPS .713
PIV 6,721
Position
Shortstop
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
6'0" / 185 lb
Born
7/21/1940 in Bancroft, IA, USA
Died
12/1/2020 in Tarpon Springs, FL, USA
MLB Debut
1962-04-14
Last Game
1974-07-10
Awards
2× All-Star

Full name: Denis John Menke

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Career Batting Statistics

Denis Menke — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1,598 5,071 605 1,270 225 40 101 606 34 698 853 .250 .343 .370 .713 6,721

Career AVG .250 vs. league average .249 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .343 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — +8.5% above league average.

Career SLG .370 vs. league average .370 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS .713 vs. league average .686 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Denis Menke Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1962 ML1 NL 50 146 12 28 3 1 2 16 0 16 38 .192 .257 (-26%) .326 (-15%) .393 (-32%) .719 (-24%) -556.4
1963 ML1 NL 146 518 58 121 16 4 11 50 6 37 106 .234 .246 (-5%) .308 (-7%) .371 (-8%) .680 (-7%) -601.0
1964 ML1 NL 151 505 79 143 29 5 20 65 4 68 77 .283 .250 (+13%) .312 (+18%) .377 (+27%) .690 (+23%) 2326.2
1965 ML1 NL 71 181 16 44 13 1 4 18 1 18 28 .243 .245 (-1%) .310 (+1%) .371 (+6%) .682 (+3%) 92.1
1966 ATL NL 138 454 55 114 20 4 15 60 0 71 87 .251 .248 (+1%) .309 (+15%) .376 (+9%) .685 (+12%) 1226.4
1967 ATL NL 129 418 37 95 14 3 7 39 5 65 62 .227 .242 (-6%) .306 (+9%) .357 (-9%) .663 (-1%) 174.3
1968 HOU NL 150 542 56 135 23 6 6 56 5 64 81 .249 .236 (+5%) .298 (+12%) .340 (+2%) .638 (+7%) 835.9
1969 HOU NL 154 553 72 149 25 5 10 90 2 87 87 .269 .248 (+9%) .320 (+15%) .369 (+5%) .689 (+10%) 1311.4
1970 HOU NL 154 562 82 171 26 6 13 92 6 82 80 .304 .253 (+20%) .325 (+20%) .385 (+14%) .711 (+17%) 2168.7
1971 HOU NL 146 475 57 117 26 3 1 43 4 59 68 .246 .249 (-1%) .316 (+4%) .365 (-12%) .682 (-5%) -277.4
1972 CIN NL 140 447 41 104 19 2 9 50 0 58 76 .233 .243 (-5%) .310 (+4%) .353 (-3%) .664 (avg) 114.1
1973 CIN NL 139 241 38 46 10 0 3 26 1 69 53 .191 .256 (-26%) .325 (+13%) .378 (-29%) .703 (-9%) -93.7
1974 HOU NL 30 29 2 3 1 0 0 1 0 4 10 .103 — — — — 0.0
Career · 13 seasons 1,598 5,071 605 1,270 225 40 101 606 34 698 853 .250 — — — — 6,721

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

Denis Menke — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
15 49 3 8 1 0 2 3 7 11 .163

Playoff Batting by Year

Denis Menke — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1973 NLCS CIN 3 9 1 2 0 0 1 1 1 2 .222
1972 NLCS CIN 5 16 1 4 1 0 0 0 4 3 .250
1972 WS CIN 7 24 1 2 0 0 1 2 2 6 .083

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (1598 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Denis Menke — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home828262033468559345.261
Away770245127158542261.239

Last 10 Games — Batting

Denis Menke — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1974-07-10 HOUSTLW 000000000
1974-07-07 HOUPITL 101000000
1974-06-30 HOUSDPL 000000000
1974-06-26 HOUCINL 100000000
1974-06-22 HOUSDPL 100000001
1974-06-19 HOUPHIL 300000001
1974-06-18 HOUPHIW 300000010
1974-06-08 HOUNYNL 100000000
1974-06-06 HOUWSNW 000000000
1974-05-29 HOUWSNW 000000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Denis Menke — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 162 109 1080 75 4 101
2B 233 212 506 543 21 103
3B 420 328 296 715 49 64
OF 5 4 8 0 0 0
SS 841 753 1218 2355 144 419

Season-by-Season Fielding

Denis Menke — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1962 ML1 1B 2 1 11 0 0 3
1962 ML1 2B 20 16 49 47 2 10
1962 ML1 3B 15 14 9 37 2 4
1962 ML1 OF 1 1 2 0 0 0
1962 ML1 SS 9 9 16 25 4 6
1963 ML1 1B 1 0 3 1 0 1
1963 ML1 2B 22 20 51 51 3 12
1963 ML1 3B 51 47 58 96 12 9
1963 ML1 OF 1 1 2 0 0 0
1963 ML1 SS 82 71 120 250 9 45
1964 ML1 2B 15 15 29 31 2 8
1964 ML1 3B 6 4 1 2 0 0
1964 ML1 SS 141 124 253 422 25 76
1965 ML1 1B 8 4 42 1 0 4
1965 ML1 3B 4 3 3 5 2 1
1965 ML1 SS 54 42 65 140 7 22
1966 ATL 1B 7 3 25 1 0 2
1966 ATL 3B 39 32 38 58 3 4
1966 ATL SS 106 94 165 282 21 50
1967 ATL 3B 3 0 2 1 0 0
1967 ATL SS 124 119 181 349 19 65
1968 HOU 1B 5 2 29 1 0 2
1968 HOU 2B 119 115 269 285 10 47
1968 HOU 3B 4 3 3 6 0 1
1968 HOU SS 35 29 45 92 5 21
1969 HOU 1B 9 7 52 9 1 3
1969 HOU 2B 23 20 42 47 2 9
1969 HOU 3B 1 1 2 2 0 0
1969 HOU SS 131 126 161 356 24 63
1970 HOU 1B 5 0 14 0 0 0
1970 HOU 2B 21 18 51 62 1 14
1970 HOU 3B 5 2 1 4 1 1
1970 HOU OF 3 2 4 0 0 0
1970 HOU SS 133 131 192 394 28 66
1971 HOU 1B 101 87 845 59 3 77
1971 HOU 2B 5 4 7 11 1 2
1971 HOU 3B 32 29 24 41 4 4
1971 HOU SS 17 8 16 40 2 5
1972 CIN 1B 11 4 40 2 0 5
1972 CIN 3B 130 120 85 258 16 20
1973 CIN 1B 1 0 1 0 0 0
1973 CIN 2B 5 3 7 5 0 1
1973 CIN 3B 123 70 68 189 9 19
1973 CIN SS 7 0 4 3 0 0
1974 HOU 1B 12 1 18 1 0 4
1974 HOU 2B 3 1 1 4 0 0
1974 HOU 3B 7 3 2 16 0 1
1974 HOU SS 2 0 0 2 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Denis Menke Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
First Base 162
Second Base 234
Third Base 420
Shortstop 840
Left Field 3
Right Field 2

Award Voting History

Denis Menke — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1969 Most Valuable Player NL 15th 8.0 336 0

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Denis Menke (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Frankie Crosetti
    .245 avg, 98 HR
  2. 98
    Jerry Priddy
    .265 avg, 61 HR
  3. 97
    Grady Hatton
    .254 avg, 91 HR
  4. 97
    Roy Smalley
    .257 avg, 163 HR
  5. 95
    Mark Ellis
    .262 avg, 105 HR
  6. 94
    Davey Johnson
    .261 avg, 136 HR

Denis Menke: the record in brief

Denis Menke played a first major league game on April 14, 1962 and a last one on July 10, 1974. The team column moves through the Milwaukee Braves (1962 through 1965), the Atlanta Braves (1966 to 1967), the Houston Astros (1968 through 1974), and the Cincinnati Reds (1972 to 1973). At 6 feet, 0 inches and 185 pounds, Menke is listed as a shortstop. The bio says Menke threw and hit right-handed. The recorded birth is July 21, 1940, in Bancroft, IA, USA. Menke died on December 1, 2020, in Tarpon Springs, FL, USA. On the record, Denis Menke was born Denis John Menke.

Menke's career batting table shows 1,598 games, 5,071 at bats and 1,270 hits, a .250 average, plus 101 home runs, 606 runs batted in, and 34 stolen bases. Menke got on base at a .343 rate and slugged .370 (.713 OPS). Against a .249 league average for those years, Menke's .250 average was near the norm.

Frequently Asked Questions about Denis Menke

What years did Denis Menke play?
Denis Menke played in Major League Baseball from 1962 to 1974.
Was Denis Menke a pitcher?
No. Denis Menke was a position player (Shortstop).
How many home runs did Denis Menke hit?
Denis Menke hit 101 career home runs with 1,270 hits.
What teams did Denis Menke play for?
Denis Menke played for 3 teams: the Atlanta Braves (1962–1967), the Houston Astros (1968–1971, 1974), and the Cincinnati Reds (1972–1973).
Did Denis Menke win an MVP award?
No. Denis Menke did not win the MVP award.
What awards did Denis Menke win?
Denis Menke was selected to 2 All-Star Games.
What were Denis Menke's career stats?
In 1,598 games, Denis Menke had 1,270 hits, 101 home runs, 606 RBI, 605 runs, and 34 stolen bases, with a .250 batting average.
What position did Denis Menke play?
Denis Menke played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Denis Menke and how much did he weigh?
Denis Menke was listed at 6 feet and 185 pounds.
How many home runs did Denis Menke hit each season?
Denis Menke's home runs by season: 2 in 1962, 11 in 1963, 20 in 1964, 4 in 1965, 15 in 1966, 7 in 1967, 6 in 1968, 10 in 1969, 13 in 1970, 1 in 1971, 9 in 1972, 3 in 1973, and 0 in 1974. His most in one season was 20, in 1964.
What was Denis Menke's career batting average?
Denis Menke batted .250 over his career, with 1,270 hits in 5,071 at bats.
How many RBI did Denis Menke have?
Denis Menke drove in 606 runs in his career.
Is Denis Menke in the Hall of Fame?
No. Denis Menke has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
How many All-Star Games did Denis Menke make?
Denis Menke was selected to 2 All-Star Games.