This second MLB Monday miniseries reaches the first year of a record five straight where the New York Yankees won the World Series. What a boring world it must have been, just knowing the pinstriped princes would end up winning it all again, every year! Bleh. We much prefer the volatility of modern-day postseasons, even if it drives us crazy sometimes. Nonetheless, here we go: time to bite the bullet and get through this stretch of years as painlessly as we can. Ha! Enjoy …

1949 World Series MVP: Allie Reynolds, P, New York (AL)

The Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in five games, and this comes down to two New York players in our minds: third baseman Bobby Brown (1,488 OPS, 5 RBI, .500 BA) and pitcher Allie Reynolds (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 save, 14 Ks, 0.486 WHIP, 1.250 OPS). Both make excellent candidates here, but we’re going with Reynolds: He won Game 1 with a complete game shutout, and then he saved Game 4, preventing the Dodgers from tying up the Series. Plus, he hit well, too. Sealed!

1949 AL MOTY: Casey Stengel, New York

New York famously won the pennant by 1 game over the Boston Red Sox by beating their rivals in two straight to end the season. Yankees Manager Casey Stengel guided his team to a plus-2 PPP finish, which is huge, of course, in a one-game race. Meanwhile, Boston Manager Joe McCarthy—a nine-time winner—put up just a minus-1 PPP mark. That’s the difference right there, although we point out that Philadelphia Athletics Manager Connie Mack (plus-4 PPP) was best.

1949 NL MOTY: Eddie Dyer, St. Louis

Brooklyn also had a nail-biting pennant race, winning out by 1 game over the St. Louis Cardinals. Dodgers Manager Burt Shotton almost cost his team the flag with a minus-1 PPP effort, while Cardinals Manager Eddie Dyer (plus-4 PPP) clearly did all he could to get his team to the promised land. He wins this award, easily, giving us two first-time winners of the MOTY trophies—something that has happened here one other time since 1935. It’s nice to see new blood!