Former MLB pitcher Tommy John dies at age 83
NBC News • • sports
Key Points:
- Tommy John, a longtime Major League Baseball pitcher known for pioneering the groundbreaking elbow surgery that saved his career and many others, has died at age 83.
- John’s career spanned 26 years with six MLB teams, most notably the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, and he won 288 games with 2,245 strikeouts but never a Cy Young Award.
- In 1974, John underwent revolutionary surgery by Dr. Frank Jobe to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament, a procedure now named after him and credited with saving countless pitchers’ careers.
- John’s comeback after the surgery earned him the nickname “Bionic Man,” and his legacy extends beyond his pitching to his role as an athletic and medical pioneer in baseball.
- Current MLB stars like Gerrit Cole and Shohei Ohtani have undergone Tommy John surgery, highlighting the lasting impact of the procedure on the sport.
