A native of Lawrence, Kansas, Houk was a catcher working his way through the Yankees\' farm system when the U.S. entered World War II. He enlisted in the armed forces, became an Army Ranger, and rose to Major (the source of his Yankee nickname). He was a combat veteran of Bastogne and the Battle of the Bulge, and was awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and the Silver Star with oak leaf clusters.\n', '

Returning to baseball after the war, Houk eventually reached the Major Leagues, serving as the Yankees\' second- and third-string catcher behind Yogi Berra. A right-handed hitter listed as 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and 193 pounds (88 kg), Houk played in only 91 games over eight seasons (1947–54), finishing with a batting average of .272. Although the Yankees participated in six World Series during that period, Houk had only two Series at bats (one in 1947, the other in 1952), batting .500.\n', '

During his last five years as a big-league player (1950–54), Houk played in only 31 regular-season games, made 30 total plate appearances, and caught 83 innings. But by 1953 he had transitioned to becoming the Yankees\' full-time bullpen coach, effectively beginning his managerial apprenticeship.\n', '

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