MVP Profile: Phil Rizzuto, 1950

Shortstop, New York Yankees

Age:  33 (Sept. 25)

7^th season with Yankees

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’6”    Weight: 150 

Prior to 1950:

A New York City native who was born in Brooklyn, the diminutive Rizzuto played baseball at Richmond Hill High School in Queens and also played for a semipro team, under an assumed name, during the summer before his senior year. Regularly told that he was too small to play baseball, he was turned away in tryouts with the Dodgers and Giants before signing with the Yankees in 1937. Assigned to a Class D Bi-State League team in Bassett, Virginia in ’37, the 19-year-old played at shortstop and third base and batted .310, while also dealing with a serious leg injury. Moving on to Norfolk of the Class B Piedmont League in 1938, he hit .336 with 24 doubles, 10 triples, 9 home runs, 58 RBIs, 26 stolen bases, and a .385 on-base percentage. Advancing to the Kansas City Blues of the American Association in 1939, Rizzuto batted .316 and picked up the nickname “Scooter” that proved to be enduring, thanks to his speed. Still with Kansas City in 1940, he received Minor League Player of the Year honors from The Sporting News after batting .347 with 201 hits that included 28 doubles, 10 triples, and 10 home runs. Brought up to the Yankees in 1941 to replace Frank Crosetti as the regular shortstop (much to the chagrin of many of the club’s veteran players), he hit .307 and was noted for his scrappy, intelligent style of play. He was an All-Star for the first time in 1942 as he hit .284 with a .343 OBP. He spent the next three years in the Navy during World War II, returning to the Yankees in 1946, but not without first receiving an offer to jump to the outlaw Mexican League. Dealing with the after-effects of a wartime bout of malaria, his batting average dropped to .257 in ’46. He returned to form in 1947, a pennant-winning year for the Yankees and contributed a .273 average and a .350 OBP, as well as 26 doubles and 9 triples. He also placed second among AL shortstops with 340 put outs, and third with 111 double plays. In the World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, he batted .308 and scored the winning run in the decisive seventh game. In 1948 he hit .252 with a .340 OBP. A skilled batter and an outstanding bunter, in 1949 he led the league in sacrifice hits with 25, to go along with 22 doubles, 7 triples, 5 home runs, 65 RBIs, a .275 average, and .352 OBP. Entering the 1950 season, he had established himself as a solid shortstop and offensive contributor who was also appreciated for his enthusiasm and leadership qualities.

1950 Season Summary

Appeared in 155 games

SS – 155

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 735 [1]

At Bats – 617 [5]

Runs – 125 [2, tied with Vern Stephens]

Hits – 200 [2]

Doubles – 36 [3]

Triples – 7 [12, tied with Cass Michaels & Nellie Fox]

Home Runs – 7

RBI – 66

Bases on Balls – 92 [9]

Int. BB – 0

Strikeouts – 39

Stolen Bases – 12 [2, tied with Elmer Valo]

Caught Stealing – 8 [2, tied with Dick Kokos]

Average - .324 [6]

OBP - .418 [7]

Slugging Pct. - .439

Total Bases – 271 [11]

GDP – 6

Hit by Pitches – 7 [5, tied with Eddie Robinson & Elmer Valo]

Sac Hits – 19 [1]

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading plate appearances were +4 ahead of runner-up Eddie Yost

League-leading sac hits were +1 ahead of runner-up Johnny Lipon

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 19, 3B – 4, HR – 2, RBI – 31, AVG – .324, .OBP – .419

---

Most hits, game – 4 on seven occasions

Longest hitting streak – 14 games

HR at home – 4

HR on road – 3

Most home runs, game – 1 on seven occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Cleveland 8/6, at Bos. Red Sox 9/7

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 767

Put Outs – 301

Assists – 452

Errors – 14

DP – 123

Pct. - .982

Postseason Batting: 4 G (World Series vs. Phila. Phillies)

PA – 18, AB – 14, R – 1, H – 2, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 0, BB – 3, IBB – 0, SO – 0, SB – 1, CS – 0, AVG - .143, OBP - .294, SLG - .143, TB – 2, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 1, SF – N/A

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star (Started for AL at SS)

 

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Phil Rizzuto, NYY.: 284 points - 16 of 23 first place votes, 85% share

Billy Goodman, BosRS.: 180 points – 4 first place votes, 54% share

Yogi Berra, NYY.: 146 points – 3 first place votes, 43% share

George Kell, Det.: 127 points – 38% share

Bob Lemon, Clev.: 102 points – 30% share

---

Yankees went 98-56 to win the AL pennant by 3 games over the Detroit Tigers while leading the league in triples (70) and fewest batter strikeouts (458). Falling behind the Tigers during a 15-17 June, the Yankees remained a close second well into July before briefly regaining the lead. Again dropping behind, they recovered during August to take a small lead into September which they held until season’s end for their second straight pennant. Rizzuto overcame a sore arm during the spring to turn in an MVP performance. Won World Series over the Philadelphia Phillies, 4 games to 0.

Aftermath of ‘50:

The Yankees won a third straight championship in 1951 and Rizzuto contributed a .274 batting average and .350 on-base percentage and again topped the AL in sacrifice hits. He also hit .320 and handled 40 chances in the field during the six-game World Series triumph over the cross-town Giants and received the Babe Ruth Award as the top World Series performer. His average dropped to .254 in 1952 but his OBP was still a solid .337 and “Scooter” remained stellar in the field as the club’s title streak reached four. It was more of the same in 1953 as Rizzuto batted .271 with a .383 OBP and placed sixth in league MVP voting as the Yanks won yet another pennant and World Series. In 1954, a year in which the club fell short of another pennant, Rizzuto showed signs of wear at age 36 as his average dropped to .195 and his OBP to .291. In 1955 he made only 79 appearances at shortstop and hit .259. The end came in 1956 when, after playing in 31 games, he was abruptly released in August to make way for veteran outfielder Enos Slaughter. For his major league career, spent entirely with the Yankees, Rizzuto batted .273 with 1588 hits that included 239 doubles, 62 triples, and 38 home runs. He scored 877 runs and compiled 563 RBIs, 149 stolen bases, a .351 OBP, drew 651 walks, and accounted for 193 sacrifice hits (a category in which he topped the American League four times). Rizzuto appeared in 52 World Series games and hit .246 with 2 home runs, 8 RBIs, 10 stolen bases, and a .355 on-base percentage. A five-time All-Star, “Scooter” was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994 following a long wait. Following his playing career, he moved into the broadcast booth where he remained popular with Yankee fans for 40 years with his rambling style punctuated with shouts of “holy cow!” He made a mark in popular culture when his play-by-play commentary was featured in the Meat Loaf song “Paradise by the Dashboard Light”. For all his contributions to the Yankees over the course of 53 years the club retired his #10 and a plaque was placed in his honor in the Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. He died in 2007 at age 89.

---

MVP Profiles feature players in the National or American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award (1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present) as Most Valuable Player. 

Rookie of the Year: Sam Jethroe, 1950

Outfielder, Boston Braves

Age:  33

Bats – Both, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 178

Prior to 1950:

Born in Mississippi, Jethroe moved with his family to East St. Louis, Illinois, where he played semipro baseball until joining the Negro League Indianapolis Clowns in 1938 while still in high school. He returned to semipro ball until returning to the Negro American League in 1942 with the Cincinnati/Cleveland Buckeyes. Despite the incomplete nature of Negro League statistics to provide clear evidence, Jethroe played well for the Buckeyes, who were exclusively a Cleveland-based club while he was with them from 1943 through 1948. Widely considered to be the fastest player in baseball, he was selected to Negro League East-West All-Star Games in 1942, ’44, ’46, and ’47. He led the league with a .353 batting average in 1944. Jethroe was given a tryout, along with Jackie Robinson and Marvin Williams, by the Boston Red Sox in 1945, who were coming under heavy pressure to integrate. The tryout did not lead to a signing (major league baseball remained segregated until 1947, and the Red Sox for well after that) and Jethroe returned to the Buckeyes, where he led the Negro American League with a .393 batting average. Known as “Jet Propelled Jethroe” which was shortened to “The Jet”, his contract was purchased from the Buckeyes by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1948, who assigned him to the Montreal Royals of the Class AAA International League. In 76 games with Montreal, Jethroe batted .322, scored 52 runs, and stole 18 bases. He had a much bigger year with Montreal in 1949 as he hit .326 with 17 home runs and 83 RBIs. “The Jet” also topped the International League with 19 triples and 89 stolen bases. Having demonstrated that he was clearly ready to advance to the major leagues and blocked by the presence of Duke Snider in center field with the Dodgers, Jethroe was dealt to the Braves, where he became the first black player in franchise history and overcame a poor spring to become the starting center fielder in 1950 as a 33-year-old rookie.

1950 Season Summary

Appeared in 141 games

CF – 141

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 641 [15]

At Bats – 582 [10]

Runs – 100 [7, tied with Willie Jones]

Hits – 159 [16, tied with Gil Hodges]

Doubles – 28 [16, tied with Willie Jones, Bob Elliott & Whitey Lockman]

Triples – 8 [6, tied with four others]

Home Runs – 18 [20, tied with Carl Furillo]

RBI – 58

Bases on Balls – 52

Int. BB – 1

Strikeouts – 93 [2]

Stolen Bases – 35 [1]

Caught Stealing – 9 [3, tied with Earl Torgeson & Richie Ashburn]

Average - .273

OBP - .338

Slugging Pct. - .442 [20, tied with Dick Sisler]

Total Bases – 257 [17]

GDP – 8

Hit by Pitches – 5 [7, tied with eight others

Sac Hits – 3

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading stolen bases were +18 ahead of runner-up Pee Wee Reese

Midseason snapshot: HR – 9, RBI - 29, SB – 25, AVG - .286, OBP – .355

---

Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at Cincinnati 5/6, (in 5 AB) at Phila. Phillies 7/4, (in 4 AB) vs. Brooklyn 9/4

Longest hitting streak – 15 games

Most HR, game – 1 on eighteen occasions

HR at home – 8

HR on road – 10

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 vs. Pittsburgh 6/17

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 384

Put Outs – 355

Assists – 17

Errors – 12

DP – 6

Pct. - .969

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

27^th in NL MVP voting, tied with Earl Torgeson, Bos. Braves (6 points, 2% share)

NL ROY Voting:

Sam Jethroe, BosB.: 11 of 23 votes, 46% share

Bob Miller, PhilaP.: 5 votes, 21% share

Danny O’Connell, Pitt.: 4 votes, 17% share

Bubba Church, PhilaP.: 2 votes, 8% share

Bill Serena, ChiC.: 1 vote, 4% share

---

Braves went 83-71 to finish fourth in the NL, 8 games behind the pennant-winning Philadelphia Phillies.

Aftermath of 1950:

A disruptive force on the basepaths with his speed, Jethroe again led the NL in stolen bases with another 35 in 1951 to go along with a .280 average, 29 doubles, 10 triples, 18 home runs, and 65 RBIs while scoring 101 runs. However, vision problems and an unexceptional throwing arm caused him to be substandard in the field, where he led center fielders in errors. Recovering from intestinal surgery in 1952, Jethroe’s performance dropped off to .232 with 13 home runs, 58 RBIs, and 28 stolen bases, and his strikeout total rose to 112. With the move of the Braves to Milwaukee in 1953, Jethroe was instead demoted to Toledo of the Class AAA American Association where he batted .309 with 32 doubles, 10 triples, 28 home runs, 74 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases. In the offseason he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He appeared in two games for the Pirates in 1954. Jethroe spent the rest of the season in the International League with the Toronto Maple Leafs, hitting .305 with 36 doubles, 8 triples, 21 home runs, 84 RBIs, and 23 stolen bases. He played for Toronto until 1958, when he retired at age 41. His hitting dropped off during his final seasons, but he still drew a fair number of walks and hit 19 home runs in 1956, a total that he never again exceeded. He also stole 24 bases in 1955 and ’57. For his brief major league career, played almost entirely with the Braves, Jethroe batted .261 with 460 hits that included 80 doubles, 25 triples, and 49 home runs. He also scored 280 runs and compiled 181 RBIs and 98 stolen bases. He encountered financial difficulties in retirement, not helped by his inability to qualify for a pension from major league baseball. Clearly an exciting and productive performer in his prime, one wonders what he could have accomplished had he been allowed to play major league baseball sooner. Jethroe died in 2001 at age 84.

--

Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1947 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1948 and from 1949 on to one recipient from each major league. 

MVP Profile: Jim Konstanty, 1950

Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies

Age:  33

3^rd season with Phillies (2^nd complete)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 202

Prior to 1950:

A native of the Buffalo, New York area, Konstanty played basketball as well as baseball at Arcade High School. Moving on to Syracuse University, he lettered in four sports (basketball, boxing, and soccer in addition to baseball). A slow runner, he played at third and first base collegiately while occasionally pitching. After graduation Konstanty became a high school gym teacher who played semipro baseball on the side. After making the conversion to pitching full time, he signed with the Syracuse Chiefs of the International League who farmed him out to Springfield of the Class A Eastern League in 1941 where he posted a 4-19 record and 4.55 ERA with a last place team. Playing for Syracuse in 1942, Konstanty was used sparingly, appearing in just five games. Due to his teaching he did not join Syracuse in 1943 until July 1 but pitched a one-hitter in his first start. With a mediocre fastball that caused him to rely on off-speed and breaking pitches, Konstanty appeared in 29 games and went 8-12 with a 3.42 ERA. In 1944 he compiled an 8-6 tally with a 3.21 ERA before he was called up to the Cincinnati Reds where he was 6-4 with a 2.80 ERA in 20 appearances. Joining the Navy in 1945 he was discharged the following year and went to spring training with the Reds. Shortly after the start of the 1946 season Konstanty was traded to the Boston Braves, encountering difficulties while appearing in ten games, mostly in relief. After going 0-1 with a 5.28 ERA he was sent to Toronto of the International League where he went 4-9 the rest of the way with a 3.88 ERA. In the offseason, with the help of a neighbor who became his personal pitching coach, he developed a palm ball which became his best pitch along with a slider. Still with Toronto in 1947, Konstanty started 26 of his 33 games and was 13-13 with a 3.47 ERA. Back again with Toronto in 1948, manager Eddie Sawyer utilized the 31-year old Konstanty mostly in relief and he was 10-10 with a 4.06 ERA. With Sawyer taking over as manager of the Phillies in July, he had the Phils purchase Konstanty’s contract and he performed well in six late-season appearances. Exclusively a reliever in 1949, he appeared in 53 games and posted a 9-5 tally with a 3.25 ERA for the up-and-coming Phillies.

1950 Season Summary

Appeared in 74 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 74 [1]

Games Started – 0

Complete Games – 0

Wins – 16 [11]

Losses – 7

PCT - .696 [2]

Saves – 22 [1]

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 152

Hits – 108

Runs – 51

Earned Runs – 45

Home Runs – 11

Bases on Balls – 50

Strikeouts – 56

ERA – 2.66 [Non-qualifying]

Hit Batters – 0

Balks – 3 [4, tied with six others]

Wild Pitches – 1

League-leading games pitched were +23 ahead of runner-up Murry Dickson

League-leading saves were +14 ahead of runner-up Bill Werle

Midseason Snapshot: 7-3, ERA - 3.21, G – 36, SV – 11, SO - 33 in 67.1 IP

---

Most strikeouts, game – 3 on six occasions

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 5 (in 9 IP) at Pittsburgh 8/25 – pitched last 9 innings of 15-inning game

Batting

PA – 39, AB – 37, R – 0, H – 4, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 3, BB – 0, SO – 13, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .108, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 2, SF – N/A

Fielding

Chances - 36

Put Outs – 12

Assists – 22

Errors – 2

DP – 3

Pct. - .944

Postseason Pitching: (World Series vs. NY Yankees)

G – 3, GS – 1, CG – 0, Record – 0-1, PCT – .000, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 15, H – 9, R – 4, ER – 4, HR – 1, BB – 4, SO – 3, ERA – 5.54, HB – 1, BLK – 0, WP – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP:BBWAA

NL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Jim Konstanty, PhilaP.: 286 pts. – 18 of 24 first place votes, 85% share

Stan Musial, StLC.: 158 pts. – 1 first place vote, 47% share

Eddie Stanky, NYG: 144 pts. – 2 first place votes, 43% share

Del Ennis, PhilaP.: 104 pts. – 31% share

Ralph Kiner, Pitt.: 91 pts. – 1 first place vote, 27% share

(2 first place votes for Granny Hamner, PhilaP., who ranked sixth)

---

Phillies went 91-63 to win NL pennant by 2 games over the Brooklyn Dodgers. The pitching staff led the league in ERA (3.50), saves (27), fewest runs allowed (624), fewest earned runs allowed (546), and fewest walks (530). “The Whiz Kids”, benefiting from the fine pitching of RHP Robin Roberts and LHP Curt Simmons, in addition to Konstanty in relief, as well as capable hitting, survived a late-season slump following the induction of Simmons into the military, which brought the surging Dodgers to within a game of the Phillies, who won the season finale at Brooklyn to secure their first pennant in 35 years. Lost World Series to the New York Yankees, 4 games to 0. Konstanty drew the Game One start and gave up only one run, but Yankee RHP Vic Raschi hurled a shutout for the win, setting the stage for the sweep.

Aftermath of ‘50:

Konstanty and the Phillies both slumped in 1951, with the team dropping to fifth place and the pitcher appearing in 58 games and producing a 4-11 record with 9 saves and a 4.05 ERA. He pitched in 42 games in 1952 and went 5-3 with 6 saves and a 3.94 ERA. Konstanty started 19 of his 48 games pitched in 1953 and ended up with a 14-10 tally with five saves and seven complete games. Back to being almost exclusively a reliever in 1954 he was 2-3 with three saves and a 3.75 ERA before being waived in August. Picked up by the Yankees, he performed well down the stretch going 1-1 with two saves and a 0.98 ERA in nine appearances. Konstanty had a solid year for the Yankees in 1955, pitching in 45 games and compiling a 7-2 record with 12 saves and a 2.32 ERA. At age 39 in 1956, he struggled early in the season and was released in May, to be picked up by the St. Louis Cardinals. For the year he was 1-1 with 8 saves and a 4.65 ERA. Let go by the Cardinals in the offseason, Konstanty signed with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League in 1957, where he pitched in four games before being released, and he retired. For his major league career, Konstanty produced a 66-48 record with a 3.46 ERA, 76 saves, and 268 strikeouts over 945.2 innings pitched. With the Phillies he pitched in 314 games and went 51-39 with 54 saves, a 3.64 ERA, and 205 strikeouts over 675.1 innings. The 1950 World Series marked his only postseason action. A stickler for physical conditioning, Konstanty, who looked professorial in his trademark glasses, endured a long road to his MVP season, which proved to be the highlight of his career. He ran a sporting goods store in retirement and also served as a minor league pitching coach. He died of cancer in 1976 at age 59. Konstanty’s modern (since 1900) major league record of 74 games pitched in 1950 lasted until 1964.

--

MVP Profiles feature players in the National or American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award (1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present) as Most Valuable Player.

Rookie of the Year: Walt Dropo, 1950

First Baseman, Boston Red Sox

Age:  27

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’5”    Weight: 220

Prior to 1950:

A native of Moosup, Connecticut (hence his subsequent nickname, “the Moose from Moosup”), Dropo along with his brother Milt were multi-sport athletes in high school who received athletic scholarships to the Univ. of Connecticut. College was interrupted by service with the Army Corps of Engineers during World War II where he played service baseball. Dropo returned to school and played football and basketball in addition to baseball. He signed with the Red Sox directly out of college in 1947 and appeared in 87 games with Scranton of the Class A Eastern League, batting .297 with 18 doubles and 12 home runs. Dropo started the 1948 season with Louisville of the Class AAA American Association but overmatched by the pitching he was sent to Birmingham of the Class AA Southern Association where he broke out with 14 home runs, and a .359 average in 118 games. “Moose” started the 1949 season with the Red Sox but was sent to Sacramento of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League where he hit .287 with 17 home runs and 85 RBIs. He was back with Louisville to start the 1950 season but was promoted back to Boston due to an injury to infielder/outfielder Billy Goodman and he quickly established himself at first base.

1950 Season Summary

Appeared in 136 games

1B – 134, PH – 2

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 609

At Bats – 559 [13, tied with Vic Wertz]

Runs – 101 [13]

Hits – 180 [6]

Doubles – 28 [12]

Triples – 8 [9, tied with Johnny Groth & Tommy Henrich]

Home Runs – 34 [2]

RBI – 144 [1, tied with Vern Stephens]

Bases on Balls – 45

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 75 [7]

Stolen Bases – 0

Caught Stealing – 0

Average - .322 [8, tied with Yogi Berra]

OBP - .378

Slugging Pct. - .583 [2]

Total Bases – 326 [1]

GDP – 16 [14, tied with five others]

Hit by Pitches – 5 [9, tied with Chico Carrasquel, Johnny Pesky & Hank Bauer]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading total bases were +5 ahead of runner-up Vern Stephens

Midseason snapshot: HR - 19, RBI - 83, AVG - .343, SLG PCT – .631

---

Most hits, game – 4 (in 6 AB) vs. St. Louis Browns 6/8

Longest hitting streak – 13 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 4 AB) at Detroit 5/17, (in 6 AB) vs. St. L. Browns 6/8, (in 4 AB) vs. Cleveland 7/16, (in 4 AB) vs. NY Yankees 9/7

HR at home – 24

HR on road – 10

Multi-HR games – 4

Most RBIs, game – 7 vs. St. Louis Browns 6/8, vs. NY Yankees 7/1

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 2 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 1234

Put Outs – 1142

Assists – 77

Errors – 15

DP – 147

Pct. - .988

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

All-Star (started for AL at 1B)

6^th in AL MVP voting (75 points, 22% share)

AL ROY Voting:

Walt Dropo, Bos.: 15 of 23 votes, 63% share

Whitey Ford, NYY: 6 votes, 25% share

Chico Carrasquel, ChiWS.: 2 votes, 8% share

---

Red Sox went 94-60 to finish third in the AL, four games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees while leading the league in runs scored (1027), hits (1665), doubles (287), batting (.302), on-base percentage (.385), and slugging (.464).

Aftermath of 1950:

Dropo had a rough time in 1951, getting sent down to San Diego of the Pacific Coast League where he hit .286 in 33 games before he returned to Boston where he produced overall totals of 11 home runs, 57 RBIs, and a .239 batting average for the Red Sox. In mid-1952 he was part of a nine-player trade with the Detroit Tigers. Dropo’s average climbed from .265 to .279 the rest of the way with his new team and he ended up with totals of 29 home runs, 97 RBIs, and a .276 average. He had a lesser season in 1953 as he hit .248 with 13 home runs and 96 RBIs. His playing time fell to 107 games in 1954 with a batting average of .281 with only 4 home runs and 44 RBIs. Dropo was traded once again, this time to the Chicago White Sox in 1955. He partially recovered his power stroke, hitting 19 home runs and knocking in 79 runs with a .280 average. Following undistinguished years in 1956 and ‘57, Dropo was waived by the White Sox in late June of 1958 and was claimed by the Cincinnati Reds. Batting only .192 at the time of his release, Dropo hit .290 the rest of the way with 7 home runs and 31 RBIs. Always a slow runner and a limited defensive player, Dropo was strictly a backup for the Reds in 1959 until being traded back to the American League and the Baltimore Orioles in June where his career that began with such promise finally came to an end in 1961. Overall, he hit .270 with 1113 hits that included 168 doubles, 152 home runs, and 704 RBIs. His Rookie of the Year season was by far his best.

--

Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1947 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1948 and from 1949 on to one recipient from each major league.