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Walt Dropo

Walter Dropo (born January 30, 1923 in Moosup, Connecticut), nicknamed "Moose", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and right-handed batter who played with the Boston Red Sox (1949-52), Detroit Tigers (1952-54), Chicago White Sox (1955-58), Cincinnati Redlegs (1958-59), and Baltimore Orioles 1959-61).

Listed at 6'5", 220 lb (100 kg), Dropo's parents came from Mostar, Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina) to start a new life. His father, Savo, worked at the local textile mill and also ran their Connecticut family farm. Walter was raised in Moosup, Connecticut. There, he played sandlot with brothers Milton and George. Walter turned down an offer from American football's Chicago Bears to sign with the Red Sox as an amateur free agent in 1947. He debuted on April 19, 1949. In 11 games he batted .146 (6-for-41).

Dropo enjoyed one of the best rookie seasons ever in 1950, leading the league in RBIs (144) and total bases (326), while batting .322 and hitting 34 home runs (second to Al Rosen 37). 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). Dropo was considered for the MVP award, and earned Rookie of the Year honors. 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 to tie an MLB record. 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 RBIs, but he never again hit over 19 homers (1955) or batted over .281 (1954).

In 13-season career, Dropo batted .270 (1113-for-4124) with 152 home runs, 704 RBIs, 478 runs, 168 doubles, 22 triples, and five stolen bases in 1288 games. Dropo still holds the record for 12 consecutive hits. Today, Dropo is retired and lives on the North Shore of Boston. He has two daughters, Carla and Tina. He also has five grandchildren, Jennifer, Elizabeth, Alex, Sarah and Nicole. Dropo's only son, Jeff, died on January 17, 2008.

Highlights

Rookie of the Year (1950)
All-Star (1950)
Top 10 MVP (6th, 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)
Holds the MLB record with 12 consecutive plate appearances with a hit (July 15, 1952) ''(the other record-holder was walked 4 times during the streak of 12 straight hits)
Tied an AL record with 15 hits in four games (July 16, 1952)

Facts

Dropo was the first rookie in the 20th century to top 100 RBIs with more RBIs than games played (144 in 136 games, 1950)
He was 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).

Walt Dropo Day (1953)

Detroit first baseman Walt Dropo grew up near Hartford, Connecticut. In 1953 when the Tigers played an exhibition game there, the townspeople honored him by holding a Walt Dropo Day. The previous season, "Moose," as he was fondly called, had batted .276, clubbed 29 home runs, and batted in 97 runs. Before the exhibition game, Dropo was showered with praise and gifts, including a new car. But when he took the field, he went 0-6 at the plate and made three errors at first.