Tommy John, namesake for a pioneering elbow surgery that saved his career, dead at 83
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tommy John, who won 288 games during a 26-year big league career and became the first pitcher to successfully return following groundbreaking elbow surgery that…
Tommy John, the former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher whose name is synonymous with a groundbreaking elbow surgery that saved countless careers, has passed away at the age of 83. John, who enjoyed a successful 26-year big league career, died peacefully at his home in Bradenton, Florida, on Saturday night while receiving hospice care. He had been in hospice care since August 8th, according to his agent Mike Maguire, who confirmed the news on Sunday.
During his illustrious career, John amassed a record of 288-231 and a 3.34 ERA, earning a spot as a four-time All-Star. He played for several teams, including the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, California Angels, and Oakland Athletics, spanning from 1963 to 1989.
The turning point of John's career came in 1974 when he suffered a severe injury to his pitching elbow. At the age of 31, the then left-hander tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. This injury was considered a career-ending blow for pitchers at the time. However, John's life took a dramatic turn when his team physician, Dr. Frank Jobe, performed a pioneering surgery that replaced the injured ligament with a tendon from John's own right forearm. Dr. Jobe gave the surgery a 100-to-1 odds of success, and John's perseverance paid off.
The procedure, known as Tommy John surgery, has since revolutionized the world of baseball. More than 2,600 major leaguers and thousands of amateur athletes have undergone the operation, forever changing the landscape of the sport. Notable beneficiaries of the surgery include Shohei Ohtani, Justin Verlander, and even Philadelphia Phillies' star slugger Bryce Harper.
As a tribute to his groundbreaking contribution, Dodgers team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache stated, "If you put it in dollars and cents, I think there's no question that Tommy John is the most valuable reconstructive procedure there is." John's legacy extends far beyond his impressive career statistics, as his pioneering surgery has become a godsend for many of baseball's greatest stars.
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