Walt Dropo

Born: 1/30/1923 in Moosup, CT, USA

Died: 12/17/2010 in Peabody, MA, USA

MLB Debut: 1949-04-19 | Final Game: 1961-05-17

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'5" | Weight: 220 lbs

Full name: Walter Dropo

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Biography

Walt Dropo, born in 1923, had a distinguished career in Major League Baseball that spanned from 1949 until his retirement in 1961. Known for his power-hitting abilities, Dropo played primarily as a first baseman and left a significant mark on the game during the post-World War II era, a time when baseball was gaining popularity and fans were eager for exciting performances. He played in 1,288 games, accumulating 1,113 hits, 152 home runs, and 704 RBIs, finishing his career with a batting average of .270. Dropo's career was highlighted by his impressive rookie season in 1950, during which he was honored with the Rookie of the Year award. He was recognized for his offensive contributions, earning one All-Star selection in 1952. Although his stolen base total stood at just 5, Dropo's primary value lay in his ability to drive in runs and provide power at the plate. His contributions to teams like the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers solidified his position as a notable player of his time, as he helped to pave the way for future generations in the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1288	4124	478	1113	168	22	152	704	5	328	582	0.270	0.326	0.432	0.757	3582.3

Career AVG .270 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .326 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .432 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — +10.4% above league average.

Career OPS 0.757 vs. league average 0.723 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1949	BOS	AL	11	41	3	6	2	0	0	1	0	3	7	0.146	—	—	—	—	0.0
1950	BOS	AL	136	559	101	180	28	8	34	144	0	45	75	0.322	.265 (+21%)	.346 (+9%)	.401 (+45%)	.747 (+28%)	3070.0
1951	BOS	AL	99	360	37	86	14	0	11	57	0	38	52	0.239	.260 (-8%)	.336 (-7%)	.385 (-4%)	.721 (-6%)	-410.4
1952	BOS	AL	37	132	13	35	7	1	6	27	0	11	22	0.265	.252 (+5%)	.326 (+1%)	.369 (+27%)	.696 (+15%)	293.6
1952	DET	AL	115	459	56	128	17	3	23	70	2	26	63	0.279	.252 (+10%)	.326 (-2%)	.369 (+30%)	.696 (+15%)	293.6
1953	DET	AL	152	606	61	150	30	3	13	96	2	29	69	0.248	.264 (-6%)	.335 (-14%)	.397 (-7%)	.733 (-10%)	-1434.9
1954	DET	AL	107	320	27	90	14	2	4	44	0	24	41	0.281	.261 (+8%)	.333 (-2%)	.390 (-4%)	.723 (-3%)	-218.6
1955	CHW	AL	141	453	55	127	15	2	19	79	0	42	71	0.280	.258 (+8%)	.332 (+3%)	.393 (+14%)	.726 (+9%)	799.6
1956	CHW	AL	125	361	42	96	13	1	8	52	1	37	51	0.266	.258 (+3%)	.331 (+1%)	.397 (-6%)	.728 (-3%)	-189.0
1957	CHW	AL	93	223	24	57	2	0	13	49	0	16	40	0.256	.257 (-1%)	.323 (-7%)	.391 (+12%)	.715 (+3%)	77.2
1958	CHW	AL	28	52	3	10	1	0	2	8	0	5	11	0.192	.257 (-25%)	.324 (-17%)	.394 (-17%)	.719 (-17%)	-151.3
1958	CIN	NL	63	162	18	47	7	2	7	31	0	12	31	0.290	.257 (+12%)	.324 (+3%)	.394 (+24%)	.719 (+14%)	-151.3
1959	CIN	NL	26	39	4	4	1	0	1	2	0	4	7	0.103	—	—	—	—	0.0
1959	BAL	AL	62	151	17	42	9	0	6	21	0	12	20	0.278	.256 (+8%)	.323 (+2%)	.392 (+17%)	.715 (+10%)	0.0
1960	BAL	AL	79	179	16	48	8	0	4	21	0	20	19	0.268	.255 (+5%)	.323 (+6%)	.387 (-2%)	.711 (+2%)	94.5
1961	BAL	AL	14	27	1	7	0	0	1	2	0	4	3	0.259	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	1174	500	9173	672	84	968
3B	3	0	0	2	0	1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1949	BOS	1B	11	0	103	4	0	13
1950	BOS	1B	134	0	1142	77	15	147
1951	BOS	1B	93	0	878	63	12	91
1952	BOS	1B	35	0	319	21	2	31
1952	DET	1B	115	0	1005	78	12	104
1953	DET	1B	150	0	1260	127	14	121
1954	DET	1B	95	79	681	54	3	60
1955	CHA	1B	140	120	1101	62	6	104
1956	CHA	1B	117	91	855	50	6	95
1957	CHA	1B	69	50	483	39	7	49
1958	CHA	1B	16	12	98	8	0	8
1958	CIN	1B	43	37	300	27	0	31
1959	CIN	1B	23	9	103	11	0	11
1959	BAL	1B	54	37	386	18	4	42
1959	BAL	3B	2	0	0	2	0	1
1960	BAL	1B	67	56	397	27	3	50
1960	BAL	3B	1	0	0	0	0	0
1961	BAL	1B	12	9	62	6	0	11