[1] A native of Little Chute, Wisconsin, to Henry and Anna Van Cuyk, he grew up in the close village of Kimberly, where he attended school.

He started his professional career in 1940 with Class-D Appleton Papermakers, playing for them in part of two seasons before serving stateside in the United States Army during World War II from 1941 to 1945.

[2][3] Van Cuyk entered the majors in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers, pitching in seven games for them in part of three seasons.

He also saw time at the minor league level with the Montreal Royals (1946), St. Paul Saints (1947-'49) and Oakland Oaks (1950-'51), combining to go 77–68 with a 4.00 ERA in 330 pitching appearances (114 starts) during a 10-year career.

[1][2] Following his baseball career, Van Cuyk went into real estate and car sales.