Major League career and pioneering surgery
Tommy John, the former Major League Baseball pitcher whose name became synonymous with a groundbreaking elbow surgery, passed away on Saturday at the age of 83. John’s agent, Mike Maguire, confirmed his death in a statement, noting that he died peacefully at his home in Lakewood Ranch, surrounded by his family.
John’s passing follows a farewell message he released to fans on New York Yankees‘ Old-Timers’ Day, where he indicated he was “saying goodbye” due to health issues. In his message, he expressed gratitude to the Yankees organization and the Steinbrenner family for the opportunity to bid farewell to his supporters and acknowledged the friends and fans who followed his 26-year career.
His baseball career spanned 26 seasons, a duration matched in the modern era only by Nolan Ryan, who pitched for 27 years. John is one of only eight pitchers to achieve 700 starts, and he accumulated 4,710 1/3 innings pitched during his time in the major leagues. He played for several teams, including the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, California Angels, Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics, and the Yankees.
The surgery that bears his name, an ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, was first performed on John in September 1974 by Dr. Frank Jobe. This procedure was necessitated by an elbow injury that sidelined him after July 17 of that year, preventing him from pitching for the pennant-winning Dodgers.
Impact and Legacy
John was 31 years old when he underwent the surgery, having already completed a dozen major league seasons. His ability to return and pitch until age 46, achieving more starts, innings, and wins after the procedure than before, was remarkable. He was selected for one All-Star team prior to the surgery and three times afterward. Additionally, he finished second in Cy Young Award voting twice and fourth once following his recovery.
The Dodgers’ president and CEO, Stan Kasten, highlighted John’s courageous role in becoming the first to undergo the procedure. Kasten stated that John’s impact, both on and off the field, has been felt by ballplayers of all ages and will continue to be for generations to come. The Yankees also issued a statement, acknowledging his incredible longevity and post-surgery achievements, which they noted “overshadowed his excellence as a pitcher,” including consecutive 20-win seasons with their team.
In his farewell message, John specifically thanked Dr. Jobe for saving his arm and enabling him to continue pitching. He recognized that the surgery has since saved the careers of countless pitchers, including many prominent figures in the game today. The procedure is now common, with hundreds of pitchers having undergone what is known as Tommy John surgery in the 52 years since John’s initial operation.
John’s career statistics include a 3.34 ERA and 2,245 strikeouts. He pitched in three World Series, two with the Dodgers against the Yankees in 1977-78 and one with the Yankees against the Dodgers in 1981. In 14 postseason games, including 13 starts and 88 1/3 innings, he maintained a 2.65 ERA. In the 1977 NLCS, he secured a complete-game victory in Game 4 in Philadelphia, clinching the pennant with a strikeout of Bake McBride.
His father’s words, “Good luck, Tommy. Just remember one thing: whether you make it big in the big leagues or you don’t, you’ll always just be Tommy John from Terre Haute, Indiana,” remained with him throughout his career. A private celebration of life will be held in Florida.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
Mason Reed
Sports reporter covering football, basketball and international competitions.