Walt Dropo
From SoSH
| Born: | January 30, 1923 |
| Birthplace: | Moosup, Connecticut |
| Hometown: | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Height: | 6' 5" |
| Weight: | 225 lbs. |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Drafted: | 1947: Amateur Free Agent by the Boston Red Sox |
| College: | University of Connecticut |
| High School: | |
| Other Teams: | Detroit Tigers 1952-1954 Chicago White Sox 1955-1958 Cincinnati Reds 1958-1959 Baltimore Orioles 1959-1961 |
| Years with Boston: | 1949 - 1952 |
Walter Dropo (born January 30, 1923 in Moosup, CT), was the Red Sox starting first baseman from 1950 - 1952. He won the the Rookie of the Year Award in 1950 by batting .322 with 34 home runs and 144 RBI.
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Overall Career
After turning down a contract to play football with the Chicago Bears, Dropo signed a contract with the Red Sox before the 1947 season. He was considered for the starting 1B job in 1949, but Joe McCarthy prefered the versitile Billy Goodman, and Dropo spent the year in AAA. In 11 games he batted .146 (6-for-41).
Dropo enjoyed one of the best rookie seasons ever in 1950, leading the league in RBI (144) and total bases (326), while batting .322 and hitting 34 home runs (second to Al Rosen 37), earning him the Rookie of the Year Award. In addition, his .583 slugging percentage and 70 extra bases were only second to the .585 - 75 of Joe DiMaggio, and his .961 OPS was third in the league (Larry Doby .986, DiMaggio .979). His efforts that season led him to his only All-Star appearance.
In 1951, Dropo broke his right wrist and never was the same. After a disappointing one-plus season, he was traded to Detroit on June 3, 1952. After being traded, he collected 12 consecutive hits for the Tigers to tie a MLB record, ending on July 15, 1952. Included in the streak was a 5-for-5 game against the Yankees (July 14) and a 7-for-7 performance in a doubleheader against Washington (July 15). In game 2 he went 4-for-5, matching an American League record of 15 hits in four games. In that season he hit a combined 29 home runs and 97 RBI, but he never again hit over 19 homers (1955) or batted over .281 (1954).
Awards
- 1950 American League Rookie of the Year
- 1950 American League All-Star
Moment in the Sun
- Dropo was considered for the MVP award in his 1950 rookie season, but lost to Phil Rizzuto, placing 6th. His teammate, 2B Billy Goodman, placed 2nd. [1]
Trivia
- Following his graduation from UConn he was offered professional contracts by the Boston Red Sox in baseball, the Boston Celtics in basketball and the Chicago Bears in football.
- Dropo was the first rookie in the 20th century to top 100 RBI with more RBI than games played (144 in 136 games, 1950)
- He was the first Red Sox player to be named the A.L. Rookie of the Year, followed by Don Schwall (1961), Carlton Fisk (1972), Fred Lynn (1975) and Nomar Garciaparra (1997)
Transactions
- Before 1947 Season: Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent.
- June 3, 1952: Traded by the Red Sox with Fred Hatfield, Don Lenhardt, Johnny Pesky & Bill Wight to the Detroit Tigers for Dizzy Trout, George Kell, Johnny Lipon & Hoot Evers.
- December 6, 1954: Traded by the Detroit Tigers with Ted Gray and Bob Nieman to the Chicago White Sox for Leo Cristante, Ferris Fain, and Jack Phillips.
- June 24, 1958: Selected off waivers by the Cincinnati Redlegs from the Chicago White Sox.
- June 23, 1959: Traded by the Cincinnati Redlegs to the Baltimore Orioles for Whitey Lockman.
- May 24, 1961: Released by the Baltimore Orioles.
External Links
- Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
