While watching this year’s Old Timers’ Day at Yankee Stadium, I was very touched when the Yankees shared a poignant message from former pitcher Tommy John. In part, it read:
I want to thank the Yankees organization and the Steinbrenner family for giving me this opportunity to say goodbye to everyone, along with all the friends and fans who followed me throughout my 26-year career. … Thanks to Dr. [Frank] Jobe, who saved my arm and 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. Thank you to all the fans who supported me and my teammates for 26 years. I will never forget you.
The ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, in which a surgical graft allowed for the replacement of that elbow ligament with a tendon from elsewhere in the patient’s body, would go on to bear John’s name. “Tommy John” surgery not only saved and greatly extended the pitcher’s career; it has extended the careers of so many other major league baseball pitchers to this day.
Nicknamed “The Bionic Man,” John was a four-time All-Star. He played for six MLB teams throughout his 26-season career, winning 288 games. After his celebrated 1974 surgery, he posted three 20-game-winning seasons, including one with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1977) and two with the New York Yankees (1979 and 1980). He sported a lifetime 3.34 ERA and recorded 2,245 strikeouts. When his career ended in 1989, he became a broadcaster and baseball coach.
Above all, Tommy John was a class act.
He died yesterday, August 15, 2026, at the age of 83. Rest in peace.
Notablog 