Tom House Biography

Dr. Tom House is a 12-year veteran of Major League Baseball. After playing for the legendary Rod Dedeaux at USC, House pitched in the Major Leagues for the Atlanta Braves from 1967 to 1975, for the Boston Red Sox from 1976 to 1977, and for the Seattle Mariners from 1977 to 1979.

After retiring from the game, House started coaching in 1980 and quickly gained prominence as one of the most sought-after baseball coaches in the world. He coached pitchers for the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, and was Nolan Ryan's pitching coach with the Texas Rangers. He also has coached in Japan and Latin America. He currently works with Randy Johnson, Mark Prior, and a host of other top athletes.

Combining his hardball expertise with science and research, House's coaching meshes old-school fundamentals with cutting-edge biomechanical data, fitness training and sports psychology.

Tom House, recognized as one of the world's foremost authorities on pitching is the author of 11 books on baseball, co-authored 8 others and filmed 12 instructional videos. House, who holds a PhD in psychology, travels the world as an international consultant, performance analyst, and sports psychologist.

He is a member of the Major League Baseball Players Association, as well as the American College of Sports Medicine and the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology. In 1998 House was presented with the American Baseball Coaches Associations lifetime achievement award.

House has made pitching a scientific study. His company, Bio-Kinetics, uses computer-generated, three-dimensional motion analysis to help athletes maximize performance through proper biomechanics. House also has been a sports psychology consultant for many professional and amateur baseball players.

He is currently an advisor with the American Sports Medicine Institute and has paneled seminars for the Academic Advisors of America, the assistant to the general manager and international baseball consultant for the San Diego Padres. He has appeared as a guest psychologist on both 60 Minutes and Geraldo. And he appears nationally on television infomercials for HealthRider. A coordinator of 12 baseball academies across the United States and Canada, he directly accesses 8,000-10,000 players a year in clinic settings.

Randy Johnson aka The Big Unit will tell you his introduction to House, arranged by future Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan a decade ago, was one of the truly pivotal events of a career that would lead to five Cy Young Awards. "He showed me I could get six or seven inches out of my height in my delivery," Johnson said. "You watch Mark Prior pitch, he'll (get the extra extension) just about every pitch," said Johnson, referring to the Chicago Cubs phenom who, like Johnson, played his college ball at USC. "Statistically, Nolan was a better pitcher his last five years than his first five years," said House. "We slowed down the aging process. That's what Randy is trying to do."

Regarding Mark Prior, the 22-year-old right-hander who is House's top young protege "Mark is probably the best of the young generation of pitchers at getting his body closer to the plate. There's real velocity and perceived velocity. Perceived velocity is what you want to have when the real velocity of your fastball isn't quite there on any particular day," said House.

Here's what Nolan Ryan had to say at his induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 25, 1999. "When I went to the Texas Rangers as a free agent, I went with the intent to stay one year and finish my career there with the Rangers, I stayed five. And the reason I stayed five is because of the Texas Rangers. While I was there I was very fortunate to have a pitching coach by the name of Tom House. Tom and I are of the same age and Tom is a coach that is always on the cutting edge. I really enjoyed our association together. He would always come up with new training techniques that we would try and see how they would work into my routine. Because of our friendship and Tom pushing me, I think I got in the best shape of my life during the years that I was with the Rangers. Tom, I really miss those days that we spent in the weight room and out on the field working together. That last year you weren't there I can really say, buddy, I missed you. Thank you for being here today."

To the casual baseball fan, House may best be remembered as the pitcher who caught Hank Aaron's 715th home run while warming up in the Atlanta Braves bullpen behind the outfield wall. Obviously this man transcends baseball and sports in general for that matter. Perhaps, Dr. House himself summed it up best; "my personal mission is to inform, instruct, and inspire people to improve their performance, their quality of life, and help them live younger longer."

When he's not traveling, teaching, speaking, researching, coaching or analyzing pitchers, House enjoys jogging, weight training, and golf. He and his wife, Marie, live in Del Mar, California.

Some of his accomplishments are:

12-year veteran of Major League Baseball
Played college baseball for the legendary Rod Dedeaux at USC
Pitched for the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners
Started coaching in 1980
One of the most sought-after pitching coaches in the world
Coached pitchers for the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers
Nolan Ryan's pitching coach with the Texas Rangers
Currently works with Randy Johnson, Mark Prior, and a host of other top athletes
Recognized as one of the world?s foremost authorities on pitching
Author of 11 books on baseball, co-authored 8 others
Filmed 12 instructional videos
Holds a PhD in psychology
International consultant, performance analyst, and sports psychologist
Member of the Major League Baseball Players Association
Member of the American College of Sports Medicine
Member of the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology
Earned the American Baseball Coaches Association?s lifetime achievement award
Advisor with the American Sports Medicine Institute
Paneled seminars for the Academic Advisors of America
Assistant to the general manager and international baseball consultant for the San Diego Padres
Appeared as a guest psychologist on both 60 Minutes and Geraldo
appears nationally on television infomercials for HealthRider
Coordinator of 12 baseball academies across the United States and Canada
Directly accesses 8,000-10,000 players a year in clinic settings
Caught Hank Aaron's record breaking 715th home run while warming up in the Atlanta Braves bullpen