Ralph Houk, baseball player, 1947-1954

Ralph Houk

Born: 8/9/1919 in Lawrence, KS, USA

Died: 7/21/2010 in Winter Haven, FL, USA

MLB Debut: 1947-04-26 | Final Game: 1954-05-01

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 193 lbs

Full name: Ralph George Houk

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Biography

Ralph Houk was a professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1947 to 1954. Born in 1919, Houk made his mark in Major League Baseball primarily as a position player. Over the course of his career, he played in 91 games, achieving a batting average of .272 with 43 hits and 20 runs batted in. Despite not hitting any home runs or stealing bases, Houk’s contributions at the plate and his defensive skills were valuable during his time in the league. Houk played during a transformative period in baseball, following World War II, when the sport began to see an influx of returning veterans and a shift in playing styles. Although his major league tenure was brief, his performance showcased the competitive spirit of the era as baseball sought to re-establish itself as America's pastime. After retiring as a player, Houk transitioned into a successful career as a manager, further solidifying his legacy in the game.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
91 158 12 43 6 1 0 20 0 12 10 0.272 0.327 0.323 0.650 -40.6

Career AVG .272 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .327 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .323 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — 16.2% below league average.

Career OPS 0.650 vs. league average 0.723 across their career seasons — 10.0% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1947 NYY AL 41 92 7 25 3 1 0 12 0 11 5 0.272 .262 (+4%) .336 (+6%) .376 (-13%) .712 (-4%) -40.6
1948 NYY AL 14 29 3 8 2 0 0 3 0 0 0 0.276 — — — — 0.0
1949 NYY AL 5 7 0 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0.571 — — — — 0.0
1950 NYY AL 10 9 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0.111 — — — — 0.0
1951 NYY AL 3 5 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0.200 — — — — 0.0
1952 NYY AL 9 6 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.333 — — — — 0.0
1953 NYY AL 8 9 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0.222 — — — — 0.0
1954 NYY AL 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.500

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1952 WS NYA 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000
1947 WS NYA 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
C 89 0 231 21 5 2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1947 NYA C 41 0 138 13 2 0
1948 NYA C 14 0 51 5 0 1
1949 NYA C 5 0 8 0 1 0
1950 NYA C 9 0 12 1 1 0
1951 NYA C 3 0 2 1 0 0
1952 NYA C 9 0 10 1 1 1
1953 NYA C 8 0 10 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 89