John was first player to undergo pioneering operation<\/p>\n
New York Yankees pay tribute to four-time All-Star<\/p>\n
Tommy John, the namesake of a ligament-replacement surgery that paved a path to recovery for injured baseball players, has died. He was 83.<\/p>\n
TMZ.com reported that the pitcher died at his home in Florida, surrounded by his family, including his wife, Cheryl. John \u2060had recently been in hospice \u2060care.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe New York Yankees mourn the passing of Tommy John, who was \u2060a bedrock of our rotation during his time in pinstripes and a longtime favorite of Yankees fans,\u201d his former team said in a statement. While his incredible longevity and post-surgery achievements changed the fortunes and trajectory of countless athletes \u2060around the world, it also overshadowed his excellence as a pitcher, which included consecutive 20-win seasons with the Yankees.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe pause \u200bto remember the totality of his legacy \u2013 his \u200ccompetitiveness and skill, his penchant for \u200cconversation, his kind and gracious nature, and his stature as an athletic and medical pioneer. The Yankees extend \u200cour deepest condolences to his family and friends, including wife, Cheryl, daughter, Tamara, and sons Tommy III and Travis. We also keep his son Taylor in our hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n
John had recently undergone treatment related to a recurrence of bladder cancer.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, John wrote a farewell letter to fans.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to thank the Yankees organization + the Steinbrenner family for giving me this opportunity to say goodbye to everyone, along \u200cwith all the friends + fans who followed me through my 26-year career,\u201d John said in the letter. \u201cThanks for Dr Jobe, who saved my arm + made it possible for me to continue \u200bpitching. That surgery has since gone on to save the careers of countless pitchers, including many of the very best in the game today. Thank you to all the fans who supported me and my teammates for 26 years. I will never forget you.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2019 careers to that point. John allowed Jobe, the Dodgers\u2019 team physician, to replace the ligament with a tendon from his right forearm. Jobe gave the surgery 100-to-1 odds of being successful.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr Jobe, if you do your job, I\u2019ll do mine,\u201d John said at the time. John pitched another 14 seasons after the surgery.<\/p>\n
According to the American Medical Association, around 35% of active major league pitchers in 2024 had undergone Tommy John surgery. That cohort includes Cy Young winners Jacob deGrom, Chris Sale, Justin Verlander and Tarik Skubal.<\/p>\n
John was 124-106 with a \u200b2.97 ERA over 355 appearances (318 starts) \u200bduring his first 12 major league seasons. \u200bHe returned from his surgery in 1976 to go 164-125 with a 3.66 \u200bERA in 405 appearances (382 starts) \u200cover the remainder of \u200bhis career.<\/p>\n
John pitched for \u200bsix clubs, including the Yankees, the Chicago White Sox (1965-71) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (1972-74, 1976-78). He missed the 1975 season after the surgery by Jobe, who was the Dodgers\u2019 team doctor.<\/p>\n
John was a four-time All-Star, who also served as a broadcaster for the Minnesota Twins and Yankees after his career ended, but is not a member of baseball\u2019s Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n