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.
