08/16/26 01:17:00
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08/16 13:15 CDT Tommy John, namesake for a pioneering elbow surgery that saved
his career, dead at 83
Tommy John, namesake for a pioneering elbow surgery that saved his career, dead
at 83
By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer
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 later was named after him, has died. He was
83.
He died at his home in Bradenton, Florida, on Saturday night, agent Mike
Maguire said Sunday. He had been in hospice care.
On Aug. 8, the New York Yankees released a social media post in which John
wrote that he wanted to say goodbye to everyone, including friends and fans who
followed him throughout his career, saying, "I will never forget you."
John was a four-time All-Star with a record of 288-231 and a 3.34 ERA during a
career that stretched from 1963 to 1989. He pitched for Cleveland, the Chicago
White Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees, the California Angels
and the Oakland Athletics.
The left-hander was 31 years old when he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in
his pitching elbow in 1974, a death knell for pitchers' careers to that point.
John allowed Dr. Frank Jobe, the Dodgers' team physician, to replace the
ligament with a tendon from his right forearm. Jobe gave the surgery 100-to-1
odds of being successful.
"Dr. Jobe, if you do your job, I'll do mine," John told the doctor at the time.
Baseball's "Bionic Man" pitched another 14 seasons after that.
"Thanks to Dr. Jobe, who saved my arm & made it possible for me to continue
pitching," John posted in his Aug. 8 message.
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