Walt Dropo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Walt Dropo |
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Dropo in about 1953.
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: January 30, 1923 Moosup, Connecticut, U.S. |
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| Died: December 17, 2010 (aged 87) Peabody, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 19, 1949, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 17, 1961, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .270 | ||
| Home runs | 152 | ||
| Runs batted in | 704 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Walter "Walt" Dropo (born January 30, 1923 – died December 17, 2010) was an amazing American athlete. He was known by his nickname, "Moose." Walt was a star in college basketball. He also became a professional baseball player. He played as a first baseman for 13 years in Major League Baseball. During his career, he played for five different teams. These included the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers.
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Early Life and Family
Walt Dropo's parents came from a country called Kingdom of Yugoslavia. They moved to the United States to start a new life. His father, Sava, worked in a textile factory. He also helped run their family farm in Connecticut.
Walt grew up in a town called Moosup, Connecticut. He played baseball with his brothers, Milton and George. They played in empty lots, just for fun. He went to Plainfield High School. After high school, he attended the University of Connecticut.
College Sports Star
At the University of Connecticut, Walt was a very talented athlete. He played three different sports: football, basketball, and baseball. His college studies were paused because of World War II. He served in the Army for three years. He even fought in Europe during the war.
When he returned, Walt became a basketball legend at UConn. He was the school's highest scorer ever at that time. Because he was so good, he was drafted by professional teams. The Providence Steamrollers picked him for basketball in 1947. The Chicago Bears also drafted him for football in 1946.
Becoming a Baseball Pro
Walt was a big guy, standing 6 feet 5 inches tall. He weighed about 220 pounds. Even though he was drafted for football and basketball, Walt chose baseball. He signed with the Boston Red Sox in 1947.
He first played for a Red Sox minor league team. This team was the Birmingham Barons. Walt made his big league debut on April 19, 1949.
Rookie of the Year Season (1950)
The year 1950 was amazing for Walt Dropo. He led the entire league in RBIs with 144. RBIs mean how many runs a player helps score. He also hit 34 home runs. His batting average was .322, which is very high.
Because of his great performance, Walt was chosen for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He also won the American League Rookie of the Year award. He was the first Red Sox player to ever win this award. He even finished sixth in the voting for the Most Valuable Player award.
Later Career and Amazing Streaks
In 1951, Walt broke his right wrist. After this injury, he never quite matched his incredible 1950 season. In 1952, the Red Sox traded him to the Detroit Tigers.
After the trade, Walt did something incredible. He got 12 hits in a row! This tied a Major League Baseball record. During this streak, he had games where he got 5 hits out of 5 tries. He also tied an American League record by getting 15 hits in just four games.
Over his 13-year career, Walt Dropo had a batting average of .270. He hit 152 home runs and had 704 RBIs. He played in 1,288 games. He was also a very good defensive player at first base.
Life After Baseball
After he stopped playing baseball, Walt Dropo worked in several different jobs. He worked in insurance and helped people with investments. He also helped with his family's fireworks business. Later, he worked in real estate.
Walt was very involved with his old college, the University of Connecticut. His family even created a special scholarship there.
Walt Dropo passed away on December 17, 2010. He was 87 years old. His funeral was held at a Serbian Orthodox Church he helped start. He was buried in Plainfield, Connecticut.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball individual streaks
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
