Description: This vintage 1954 Topps baseball card features Walt Dropo of the Detroit Tigers. The card is made of 20 Pt. card stock and is an original from the 1954 Topps series. The card number is 18 and it is a single product, not a custom bundle. The card is in English and has no autograph. It is a part of the base set and is not a parallel/variety. The card is not oversized and is an original, not a licensed reprint. The card was manufactured by Topps in the United States and is not a part of any series. This card is perfect for any sports trading card collector! Walter Dropo; (January 30, 1923 – December 17, 2010), nicknamed "Moose", was an American college basketball standout and a professional baseball first baseman. During a 13-year career in Major League Baseball, he played for the Boston Red Sox (1949–1952), Detroit Tigers (1952–1954), Chicago White Sox (1955–1958), Cincinnati Redlegs (1958–1959) and Baltimore Orioles (1959–1961). Dropo's Serbian parents emigrated from Trebinje, then part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (now part of Bosnia and Herzegovina), to start a new life. His father, Sava, worked at the local textile mill while also running their Connecticut family farm. Walter was raised in Moosup, Connecticut, where he played sandlot baseball with his brothers Milton and George, and attended Plainfield High School in the Central Village district of Plainfield, Connecticut, before attending the University of Connecticut. While at the University of Connecticut Dropo played for the football, basketball and baseball teams. His college career was interrupted by World War II, and he served three years in the Army, including combat in Europe. Dropo left UConn as the school's all-time leading scorer in basketball. Dropo was drafted in the first round of the 1947 BAA Draft by the Providence Steamrollers with the fourth overall pick. Dropo was also drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 9th round of the 1946 NFL Draft. Listed at 6'5", 220 lb, Walter turned down offers from the Bears and the Providence Steamrollers, in order to sign with the Red Sox as an amateur free agent in 1947. He debuted on April 19, 1949, and in 11 games batted .146 (6-for-41). Before that, he played first base briefly for the Red Sox farm team the Birmingham Barons of the Southern Association double-A League. In 1950, Dropo led the league in RBIs (144) and total bases (326), while batting .322 and hitting 34 home runs, (second only to Al Rosen 37). In addition, his .583 slugging percentage and 70 extra base hits were second only to the .585 – 75 of Joe DiMaggio, and his .961 OPS finished third in the league, after Larry Doby (.986) and DiMaggio (.979). His efforts that season led to his only All-Star appearance. Dropo won the American League Rookie of the Year award in 1950, becoming the first Red Sox player to receive the award. In winning the award, he beat future Hall of Famer Whitey Ford, who finished second in balloting. Furthermore, Dropo finished sixth in the American League Most Valuable Player award. In 1951, Dropo fractured his right wrist and never had another season the equal of his 1950 campaign. After another one-plus season, he was traded to Detroit on June 3, 1952. After being traded, he collected 12 consecutive hits to tie the MLB record. Included in the streak was a 5-for-5 game against the Yankees (July 14) and a 4-for-4 performance in the first game of a doubleheader against Washington (July 15). In the second game, he went 4-for-5, hitting on his first three at bats and popping out on his fourth at bat on the 7th inning, matching an American League record of 15 hits in four games. In that season, he hit a combined 29 home runs and 97 RBIs, but would never again hit over 19 homers (1955) or bat over .281 (1954). In a 13-season career, Dropo batted .270 (1,113-for-4,124) with 152 home runs, 704 RBIs, 478 runs, 168 doubles, 22 triples and five stolen bases in 1,288 games. Defensively, in 1,174 games as a first baseman, he compiled a .992 fielding percentage.
Price: 12.99 USD
Location: Hastings, Minnesota
End Time: 2025-01-10T15:09:04.000Z
Shipping Cost: 1.99 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
Return shipping will be paid by: Seller
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Card Size: Oversized
Autographed: No
Set: 1954 Topps
Custom Bundle: No
Product: Single
Player/Athlete: Walt Dropo
Year Manufactured: 1954
Vintage: Yes
Card Thickness: 20 Pt.
Sport: Baseball
Parallel/Variety: Vintage 1954 Topps Baseball
Language: English
Card Name: Walt Dropo
Original/Reprint: Original
Manufacturer: Topps
Features: Base Set
Team: Detroit Tigers
Season: 1954
League: Major League
Player: Walt Dropo
Material: Card Stock
Original/Licensed Reprint: Original
Series: 1954 Topps
Type: Sports Trading Card
Year: 1954
Era: Post-WWII (1942-1980)
Theme: Sport
Card Number: 18
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Card Manufacturer: Topps
