Tommy John Dies at 83 Days After Farewell Letter Thanking Surgeon Who ‘Saved My Arm’

Tommy John, the legendary four-time All-Star pitcher whose name became synonymous with a groundbreaking surgical procedure, passed away at the age of 83 in Florida. His death came eight days after the Yankees released a farewell letter penned by John while he was under hospice care. In the letter, John expressed his gratitude to Dr. Frank Jobe, the pioneering surgeon whose groundbreaking operation allowed John to continue his career after a severe elbow injury.

John's remarkable comeback after undergoing "Tommy John surgery" resulted in more than half of his 288 career victories coming after the procedure, which has since been performed on over 2,400 professional baseball players. John, who played for 26 Major League seasons between 1963 and 1989, won 288 games and struck out 2,245 batters.

Despite not being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, John's impact on the sport was undeniable, as his surgery transformed a potentially career-ending injury into a treatable condition.