Tommy John, pitcher whose elbow surgery changed baseball, dies at 83
The left-handed pitcher underwent the first ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery in 1974 and pitched 14 more seasons, dying at 83 after a recurrence of bladder cancer.
A career cut short and rebuilt
On July 17, 1974, Tommy John was leading the National League with 13 wins when he took the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Montreal Expos. In the third inning, his elbow snapped. He told Sports Illustrated it felt "as if I had left my arm someplace else." The Dodgers' team physician, Dr. Frank Jobe, determined his ulnar collateral ligament had ruptured, an injury that at the time ended pitching careers.
On September 25, 1974, Jobe transplanted a tendon from John's right wrist into his left elbow, threading it through holes drilled in the bone. Jobe gave the operation 100-to-1 odds of success. John told the surgeon, "Dr Jobe, if you do your job, I'll do mine." After a second surgery to realign the ulnar nerve and more than a year of recovery, John returned to pitching in 1976.
- John tears UCL pitching for the Dodgers against the Montreal Expos
- Dr. Frank Jobe performs the first ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery
- John returns to Major League pitching after recovery
- John retires at age 46 after 26 seasons
- John releases farewell letter through the Yankees
- John dies at home in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, at age 83
A second career longer than the first
John's first 12 major league seasons produced a 124-106 record with a 2.97 ERA across 355 appearances. After the surgery, he pitched 14 more seasons, going 164-125 with a 3.66 ERA in 405 appearances. His career totals: 288 wins, 231 losses, a 3.34 ERA, and 700 starts across 26 seasons with six teams. Only Steve Carlton had more starts among left-handers.
- Wins before surgery
- 124
- Losses before surgery
- 106
- Wins after surgery
- 164
- Losses after surgery
- 125
John won 20 games in three seasons, once for the Dodgers and twice for the Yankees. He helped the California Angels reach the playoffs in 1982 and retired in 1989 at age 46. He was a four-time All-Star. Despite ranking 26th in career victories, John never reached the Hall of Fame; his support peaked at 31.7 percent on the writers' ballot over 15 years, and five subsequent committees did not elect him.
A pitcher out of time
John was a sinkerballer who specialized in weak contact. His career high in strikeouts was 138, and he averaged just 4.3 per nine innings. Only nine pitchers ever allowed more hits. In 2017, he lamented the direction of modern pitching.
The metrics people want speed, speed, speed, and the harder these kids throw when they're younger, it means they've got a better chance of having to have Tommy John surgery.
Dr. Jobe, who died in 2014 at age 88, credited John's determination for the procedure's success. At a 2013 Hall of Fame ceremony honoring his medical career, Jobe praised the pitcher's tenacity.
We did a little surgery, but the man did all the hard work. His tenacity and unique intelligence enabled us to develop the rehab program that has lasted the test of time.
Farewell and death
John had recently undergone treatment for a recurrence of bladder cancer and had been in hospice care in Bradenton, Florida. On August 8, he released a farewell letter through the Yankees ahead of Old-Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium.
I want to thank the Yankees organization & the Steinbrenner family for giving me this opportunity to say goodbye to everyone, along with all the friends & fans who followed me through my 26-year career. Thanks for Dr. (Frank) Jobe, who saved my arm & made it possible for me to continue pitching. That surgery has since gone on to save the careers of countless pitchers, including many of the very best in the game today.
John died on Saturday night, August 15, at his home in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, surrounded by his wife Cheryl and family. He was 83. His agent, Mike Maguire, confirmed the death in a statement to TMZ. The Yankees called John "a bedrock of our rotation during his time in pinstripes" and extended condolences to his wife Cheryl, daughter Tamara, sons Tommy III and Travis, and son Taylor.
