Ralph Houk

Ralph George Houk (August 9, 1919 – July 21, 2010), nicknamed "the Major," was a catcher, manager, and front office executive in Major League Baseball. A native of Lawrence, Kansas, Houk served in World War II with the 9th Armored Division, rising to the rank of Major and earning the Silver Star for combat at Bastogne and the Battle of the Bulge. He succeeded Casey Stengel as manager of the New York Yankees in 1961, guiding the club to three consecutive American League pennants and World Series titles in 1961 and 1962 — the first manager to win championships in each of his first two seasons.