Baseball Prospectus: You’ve worked with some interesting characters over the years. What lessons did you learn from Bobby Valentine when you worked with him in Texas?
Tom House: He’s a perfectionist. He helped me create a preparation base as a pitching coach. One time I’d planned the rotation out to a certain day. He’d say that’s not enough, tell me out to this day; five presentations later he finally gave it his stamp of approval. It was never enough, he was never just satisfied with what he had. His search for perfection and a better way to do things are second to none. He made me a better pitching coach.
The health and availability of players like Kevin Brown, Chris Carpenter and Mike Hampton will have a big impact on their teams’ playoff rotations.
The biggest weekend of the season is highlighted by two huge matchups on the West Coast.
While not as prolific a hitter as Barry Bonds is, Ichiro Suzuki is productive, exciting, and as big an outlier in his own way. Nate Silver explains.
If Red Sox and Yankee partisans are bored with the “fait accompli” AL East and AL Wild Card races, then here’s something for you to pay attention to. It’s how the seeding plays out. More to the point, Yankee fans have a vested interest in seeing the Twins wind up with a better record than the A’s. Sox fans, however, would do well to summon their karmic resolve for the opposite outcome. This is because the idea of facing two doses of Johan Santana and, if necessary, two doses of Brad Radke in a five-game series is mighty unpalatable.