Major League Baseball Player. For thirteen seasons (1949 to 1961), he played at the first-base position with the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles. He attended the University of Connecticut, where he was a standout multi-sport athlete who excelled at baseball, basketball and football with the Huskies; his studies were interrupted while he served in the European Theater with the US Military during World War II. He concluded his collegiate career as Connecticut's all-time scoring leader in basketball. His athletic skills led to his entertaining of several opportunities at a professional career, and upon graduation he was selected by the Chicago Bears during the 1946 NFL Draft, and chosen by the Providence Steamrollers of the Basketball Association of America. He opted for baseball and was signed as an amateur free agent by the Red Sox. He broke into the Majors on April 19th, 1949, appearing in 11 games that season with Boston. In 1950, (his first full year) he recorded 180 hits, 34 home runs, 101 runs scored, with a .322 batting average, while leading the league in runs driven in with 144, as he was en route to All-Star status and American League Rookie of the Year Honors. In 1,288 games, Dropo amassed 1,113 hits, with a lifetime .270 batting average. Following his baseball career, he worked in his family's fireworks business.

Major League Baseball Player. For thirteen seasons (1949 to 1961), he played at the first-base position with the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles. He attended the University of Connecticut, where he was a standout multi-sport athlete who excelled at baseball, basketball and football with the Huskies; his studies were interrupted while he served in the European Theater with the US Military during World War II. He concluded his collegiate career as Connecticut's all-time scoring leader in basketball. His athletic skills led to his entertaining of several opportunities at a professional career, and upon graduation he was selected by the Chicago Bears during the 1946 NFL Draft, and chosen by the Providence Steamrollers of the Basketball Association of America. He opted for baseball and was signed as an amateur free agent by the Red Sox. He broke into the Majors on April 19th, 1949, appearing in 11 games that season with Boston. In 1950, (his first full year) he recorded 180 hits, 34 home runs, 101 runs scored, with a .322 batting average, while leading the league in runs driven in with 144, as he was en route to All-Star status and American League Rookie of the Year Honors. In 1,288 games, Dropo amassed 1,113 hits, with a lifetime .270 batting average. Following his baseball career, he worked in his family's fireworks business.

Bio by: C.S.