We have reached 1952 on our second MLB Monday miniseries as we get closer to the end of the New York Yankees’ five-straight World Series titles (still a record)—and nearer to the start of the WS MVP Award, which was first offered up in 1955. On the contrary, the MOTY nods we’ve been giving out did not occur officially until 1983, so we have a ways to go on that one. Oh well … enjoy what we have now, every week!

1952 World Series MVP: Vic Raschi, P, New York (AL)

The Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in seven games, as N.Y. won Game 7 “on the road” at Ebbets Field. Some kid named Mickey Mantle (1.061 OPS) was the best regular hitter for the Yankees, while Duke Snider (1.215 OPS) carried a lot of water for the Dodgers. On the mound, it was Vic Raschi (2-0, 1.59 ERA) shining for New York. Overall, the Yankees outscored Brooklyn, 26-20, in the Series, and with a Game 7 …

We like Snider here on first glance: he hit 4 home runs and drove in 8 runs all by himself. Would the Dodgers have even reached a Game 7 without him? Doubtful. But Raschi’s Game 6 win with his team down 3-2 in the matchup was a very clutch pitching performance. And while Mantle led the Yankees with 10 hits in the Fall Classic, he only drove in 3 runs in 7 games. It’s hard to value that more than Raschi’s victories.

Raschi’s other win came in Game 2 on the road after Brooklyn won Game 1. That was also a huge effort. As for Snider, how did he do in Game 7 with it all on the line? He only had 1 hit, and he did not drive in a run. Snider was “quiet” with the bat in the deciding game. This makes us lean more towards Raschi, who delivered two huge wins when his team was down or tied in the Series—must-have victories for New York.

1952 AL MOTY: Jimmy Dykes, Philadelphia

The Yankees took a tight pennant race by 2 games over the Cleveland Indians, but both teams received net-zero impacts from their respective managers. The best dugout effort by a winning team came from Philadelphia Athletics Manager Jimmy Dykes (plus-8 PPP), even though the A’s finished 16 games out with a 79-75 record. But it’s hard to overlook a PPP effort like that in this specific scenario, so Dykes gets our nod.

1952 NL MOTY: Chuck Dressen, Brooklyn

The Dodgers won the pennant by 4.5 games over the New York Giants and 8.5 games over the St. Louis Cardinals. Both managers of the second- and third-place teams posted plus-6 PPP marks, respectively, while Brooklyn Manager Chuck Dressen (plus-2 PPP) had a bit less success, generally speaking. But we choose Dressen again for doing just enough to hold off two challengers playing way over their heads.