Boston Red Sox best rookies in franchise history at each position
By Rick McNair
First Base
A voted ROY in 1950 and a huge right-handed power hitter who swatted 34 home runs and led the American League with 144 RBI. That was Walt Dropo.
Dropo also hit .322 and the Red Sox had the new Jimmie Foxx or did they? After that season, Dropo never hit .300 again, or notched a 100 RBI or topped 30 home runs. And was soon gone from Boston. What happened to “Moose” from Moosup, Connecticut?
In 1951, Dropo fractured his right wrist and that was it. A gifted gloveman despite his size, I never saw Dropo in a Red Sox uniform but did when he played against Boston while with the Tigers, White Sox, and Baltimore. But Dropo had chances other than baseball.
The Chicago Bears wanted to sign Dropo as did the ill-fated Providence Steamrollers for professional basketball, but Dropo had an easy decision once Tom Yawkey opened up his checkbook. Dropo becomes another Red Sox and baseball “what if?” based on that one injury that dulled his bat.
Honorable Mention: In 1966 George Scott became an All-Star hitting 27 home runs and carting 90 RBI while batting .245. Scott played as good a first base as one could imagine.