Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tommy John, who famously underwent an experimental elbow surgery in 1974 that now bears his name, has died at the age of 83, the team announced Sunday.
John died Saturday at his home in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, following a period in hospice care. He had recently experienced a recurrence of bladder cancer.
“We are saddened to hear the news of Tommy John’s passing today,” Dodgers President and CEO Stan Kasten said in a statement. “Tommy was an exceptional pitcher throughout his career in Major League Baseball, and his courageous role in becoming the first to have surgery that would go on to bear his name can’t be overstated. His impact both on and off the field has been felt by ballplayers of all ages and will be for generations to come.”
Born in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1943, John signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1961 and made his major league debut with the team two years later.
After pitching with the Chicago White Sox for several years, he was traded to the Dodgers for Dick Allen after the 1971 season. John made an immediate impact in Los Angeles, going 11-5 and 16-7 in his first two seasons with the team.
He was off to an even better start in 1974, boasting a 13-3 record when he suffered a devastating injury while throwing a fastball to the Montreal Expos’ Hal Breeden on July 17, 1974. It was later revealed to be a career-threatening complete tear of the left ulnar collateral ligament.
Dodgers team physician Dr. Frank Jobe performed a revolutionary four-hour procedure on Sept. 25, 1974, in which Jobe harvested a tendon from John’s right forearm and drilled holes in his left humerus and ulna bones, using anchors to secure the ligament.
Jobe told John he had only about a 1-in-100 chance of returning to a major league mound.
“I told him, `You’re a great doctor and I believe in you. But you’re wrong. I will come back,”’ John recalled years later. “You did an excellent job inside my arm. Now it’s up to me. I know how much pain my body can stand — and it’s quite a bit. I know how hard I can work, and if it takes 18 hours a day, I’ll do it. I will come back.”
After missing the entire next season, John returned in 1976 and posted a 10-10 record with a 3.09 ERA. He bested that in 1977, going 20-7 with a 2.78 ERA as the Dodgers won the first of two consecutive National League pennants.
John signed with the Yankees as a free agent after the 1978 season. He was traded to the Angels on Aug. 31, 1982 and helped the Halos win the American League West that season. He was released by the Angels in 1985.
More than half of John’s 26-season major-league career came after the pioneering surgery, which later became commonplace.
He was a four-time All-Star (1968, 1978-80) and a three-time 20-game winner (1977, ’79, ’80) who posted a 288-231 career record with a 3.34 earned-run average. John ranks seventh all-time in games pitched by a starter and eighth in games started.
Following his retirement at the age of 46, John began broadcasting games for the Minnesota Twins and the minor-league Charlotte Knights. He also spent time coaching several different teams in the collegiate, minor and professional ranks.
He is survived by his wife Cheryl, and his children Tommy, Travis and Tamara. A private celebration of his life will be held in Florida.