Tommy John, MLB All-star pitcher who had a surgery named after him, dies at 83
His 1974 elbow reconstruction helped define modern baseball medicine and extended his career to 26 seasons, with more than 2,600 players later undergoing the procedure.
- Former MLB pitcher Tommy John has died at 83, according to reports. He was best known as the namesake for the elbow ligament reconstruction procedure that transformed baseball medicine.
- Dodgers team physician Frank Jobe performed the experimental reconstruction on John in 1974 after a ruptured MCL ended his season. Before Jobe's intervention, such injuries were considered career-ending.
- John pitched 760 games over 26 seasons, amassing 288 wins and over 2,000 strikeouts. He recorded 164 of those victories after returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1976.
- In a recent letter shared by the New York Yankees, John thanked the Steinbrenner family and Jobe, writing, "Thanks to Dr. Jobe, who saved my arm & made it possible for me to continue pitching."
- The procedure, once experimental, is now routine across all levels of the sport. Hundreds of pitchers undergo the surgery annually, cementing John's legacy as the namesake who paved a path to recovery.
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250 Articles
Tommy John, MLB’s ‘Bionic Man’ dies at 83
Baseball has lost one of its most influential figures with the death of Tommy John at the age of 83. While he built an outstanding career as one of Major League Baseball’s most reliable pitchers, his name ultimately became known around the world for something even bigger. The groundbreaking elbow procedure that rescued his own career went on to reshape modern sports medicine, giving thousands of athletes another chance to compete at the highest …
Ex-MLB Pitcher Tommy John, Famous For ‘Tommy John Surgery’ Performed On Maine MLB Thrower, Dies
Tommy John pitched a grueling 26 years in Major League Baseball, was a four-time All Star and had the second-most wins of any pitcher since 1900. But John, 83, who died over the weekend, was mostly known throughout the world for a miracle surgical procedure that extended his throwing career by an incredible 15 years. [...] The post Ex-MLB Pitcher Tommy John, Famous For ‘Tommy John Surgery’ Performed On Maine MLB Thrower, Dies appeared first on T…
At the age of 83, Tommy John, a historic major league pitcher, died with 288 wins in 26 seasons.
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