Walt Dropo Stats & Facts - This Day In Baseball

Walt Dropo Essentials

Positions: Firstbase
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Height: 6′ – 5″ Weight: 220
Born: Tuesday, January 30, 1923 in Moosup, CT USA
Died: December 17, 2010 in Peabody, MA USA
Buried: Evergreen Cemetery, Moosup, CT
High School: Plainfield HS (Plainfield, CT)
School: University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT)
Debut: April 19, 1949 vs. PHA 4 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game: May 17, 1961 vs. DET 4 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Full Name: Walter Dropo
Nickname: Moose

Nine Players Who Debuted in 1949

Monte Irvin
Minnie Minoso
Roy Sievers
Smoky Burgess
Del Crandall
Bobby Avila
Walt Dropo
Don Newcombe
Morrie Martin

All-Time Teammate Team

Coming Soon

Notable Events

June 8, 1950

Boston Red Sox establish a major league record for the most runs in one game as they rip the St. Louis Browns, 29-4

July 14, 1950

The Boston Red Sox produce a second 11-run inning this year, as they score 11 in the 2nd inning against the Chicago White Sox to win at home, 13 – 1

November 8, 1950

The Baseball Writers Association of America announces that slugging first baseman Walt Dropo of the Boston Red Sox is the Rookie of the Year in the American League

September 14, 1951

Browns rookie Bob Nieman hits two home runs in his first two ML at bats, a record unequaled. They come against Mickey McDermott of the Red Sox, but Boston still wins 9 – 6. Boston has homers by Dom DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and Walt Dropo.

July 16, 1952

Walt Dropo gets two more hits, giving him 15 in four games, which ties the American League record.

August 13, 1954

Jack Harshman hurls a 16-inning shutout

December 6, 1954

The Tigers trade 1B Walt Dropo in 5 player deal

June 13, 1957

Yankees and White Sox Brawl – Full Broadcast June 13 1957 New York Yankees at Chicago White Sox

February 14, 1959

Baltimore Orioles buy Whitey Lockman

August 12, 2010

Milwaukee’s Casey McGehee’s last hit, a seventh-inning single, during his 4-for-4 performance in the team’s 8-4 victory over Arizona at Miller Park, establishes a franchise record. The Brewer infielder’s ninth consecutive hit breaks the club mark set by teammate Ryan Braun in 2008, but is three shy of the major league record of 12, accomplished by Pinky Higgins (1938) and Walt Dropo (1952).

The 6’5″ 220-lb Moose, from Moosup, CT, was the embodiment of his era. He was the strong, silent type, slow afoot but a deadly power hitter. He hit 152 career home runs, but had only five stolen bases.

Dropo turned down an offer from football’s Chicago Bears to sign with the Red Sox in 1947. He came up sensationally in 1950, starting on the All-Star team and winning AL Rookie of the Year honors with 34 homers, a .322 average, and a league-leading 144 RBI. Dropo’s next best was 29 HR and 97 RBI two years later, but he never again had over 19 HR or hit over .281. In one brilliant stretch in July 1952, after being traded to Detroit, he collected 12 consecutive hits to tie a ML record. Included in the streak was a 7-for-7 performance in a doubleheader against Washington.

Youth
Dropo’s Serbian parents emigrated from Mostar, then Kingdom of Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina), to start a new life. His father, Savo, worked at the local textile mill while also running their Connecticut family farm. Walter was raised in Moosup, Connecticut, where he played sandlot baseball with his brothers Milton and George, and attended Plainfield High School in the Central Village district of Plainfield, Connecticut, before attending the University of Connecticut.

College career
While at the University of Connecticut Dropo played for the football team, basketball team and baseball team. Dropo left UConn as the school’s all time leading scorer in basketball. Dropo was drafted in the first round of the 1947 BAA Draft by the Providence Steamrollers with the fourth overall pick. Dropo was also drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 9th round of the 1946 NFL Draft.

Professional career
Listed at 6’5″, 220 lb (100 kg), Walter turned down an offer from the Chicago Bears and the Providence Steamrollers, in order to sign with the Red Sox as an amateur free agent in 1947. He debuted on April 19, 1949, and in 11 games batted .146 (6-for-41).

In 1950, Dropo lead the league in RBIs (144) and total bases (326), while batting .322 and hitting 34 home runs, (second only to Al Rosen 37). In addition, his .583 slugging percentage and 70 extra bases were second only to the .585 – 75 of Joe DiMaggio, and his .961 OPS finished third in the league, after (Larry Doby .986 and DiMaggio .979). Dropo finished sixth in American League Most Valuable Player award, and earned AL Rookie of the Year honors, ahead of Whitey Ford. His efforts that season led to his only All-Star appearance.

In 1951, Dropo fractured his right wrist and never had another season the equal of his 1950 campaign. After another one-plus season, he was traded to Detroit on June 3, 1952. After being traded, he collected 12 consecutive hits to tie the MLB record. Included in the streak was a 5-for-5 game against the Yankees (July 14) and a 4-for-4 performance in the first game of a doubleheader against Washington (July 15). In the second game, he went 4-for-5, hitting on his first three at bats and popping out on his fourth at bat on the 7th inning, matching an American League record of 16 hits in three games. In that season, he hit a combined 29 home runs and 97 RBIs, but would never again hit over 19 homers (1955) or bat over .281 (1954).

In a 13-season career, Dropo batted .270 (1,113-for-4,124) with 152 home runs, 704 RBIs, 478 runs, 168 doubles, 22 triples and five stolen bases in 1,288 games.
[edit] Career highlights

Rookie of the Year (1950)
All-Star (1950)
Top 10 MVP (sixth, 1950)
Led league in RBIs (144, 1950)
Led league in total bases (326, 1950)
Tied an MLB record with 12 consecutive at-bats with a hit (July 15, 1952)
Tied an MLB record with 12 consecutive plate appearances with a hit (July 15, 1952)
Tied an AL record with 15 hits in four games (July 16, 1952)
Dropo was the first rookie to top 100 RBIs with more RBIs than games played (144 in 136 games, 1950)
The first Red Sox player to be named the American League Rookie of the Year, followed by Don Schwall (1961), Carlton Fisk (1972), Fred Lynn (1975), Nomar Garciaparra (1997), and Dustin Pedroia (2007).

Death

Dropo died of natural causes on December 17, 2010, at the age of 87. His funeral service was held at the Serbian Orthodox Church he helped found at 41 Alewife Brook Parkway, Cambridge, Mass.

Notable Events