Walt Dropo - 1950 AL Rookie of the Year - Dies at 87

Walter Dropo was born on January 30, 1923 in Moosup, Connecticut. He attended Plainfield High School in Central Village, before attending the University of Connecticut.

A promising baseball, basketball and football player, Dropo’s college career was interrupted by military service in November 1942. He was stationed at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, where he continued to be a star athlete with the Fort Devens Reception Center teams. His teammates at that time included Skippy Roberge of the Boston Braves, George Yankowski of the Philadelphia Athletics, Bob Repass of the Washington Senators, Gene Czaplicki (a Cardinals farmhand), Bill Manning (a Cubs farmhand) and Joe Kwasnieski (a Red Sox farmhand). He was later stationed in Europe, seeing time in France, Italy and Germany.

Following World War II, Drop returned to the University of Connecticut. When he graduated in 1947 he was the school’s all-time leading scorer in basketball. Dropo was drafted in the first round of the 1947 BAA (Basketball Association of America) Draft by the Providence Steamrollers. He was also drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 9th round of the 1946 NFL Draft.

He turned down both, however, to sign with the Boston Red Sox and joined the Scranton Red Sox of the Class A Eastern League as a first baseman in 1947. Dropo batted .297 with 12 home runs his rookie year and joined the Birmingham Barons of the Class AA Southern Association in 1948. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound right-hander hit .357 with the barons and made his major league debut on Opening Day April 19, 1949 against the Philadelphia Athletics. He played just 11 games at the big league level that year before being sent to the Sacramento Solons of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League.

He was back with the Red Sox in 1950 and was named American League Rookie of the Year as hit 34 home runs, batted .322 and drove in a league-leading 144 runs.

Dropo went on to enjoy a 13-year career in the major leagues although a fractured wrist suffered in 1951 meant he never returned to the form he showed in his rookie season. Nevertheless, Dropo played nearly 1,300 games and batted .270. In June 1952, after being traded to the Detroit Tigers, he collected 12 consecutive hits to tie a major league record.

After his playing career ended following the 1961 season, Drop became regional manager of an investment firm, and in 1972 he went to work for the family business, the Washington Fireworks Company, in Washington, D.C.

Walt Dropo passed away on December 17, 2010. He was 87.