Tommy John, Yankees pitcher and namesake of pioneering surgery, dies at 83

Tommy John, a four-time All-Star pitcher who won 288 games during a 26-year major league career and became the first to successfully return following groundbreaking elbow surgery that later was named after him, has died at age 83.

John died Saturday night at his home in Bradenton, Florida, his agent Mike Maguire said Sunday. He had been in hospice care.

On August 8, the New York Yankees released a social media post in which John wrote that he wanted to say goodbye to everyone, including friends and fans who followed him throughout his career, saying, "I will never forget you." The post did not detail a specific health issue, though he had battled bladder cancer and other ailments in recent years.

John's most significant legacy to baseball came in 1974 when he suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow—an injury that could have ended his career. Instead, he underwent an experimental elbow reconstruction procedure performed by Dr. Frank Jobe, which replaced the damaged ligament with a tendon from his wrist. The procedure is now known as "Tommy John surgery."

After undergoing the operation, John returned to pitch and went on to win 164 more games, finishing his career with 288 victories, more than 2,200 strikeouts and a 3.34 ERA. The procedure has since saved the pitching arms of thousands of pitchers over more than 50 years.

Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, John signed with the Cleveland Indians at age 18. He pitched for six franchises during his career: Cleveland, the Chicago White Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees, the California Angels and the Oakland Athletics.

John joined the Yankees as a free agent before the 1979 season and remained with the team through 1982. The Yankees traded him to the California Angels in August 1982. He stayed with the Angels until being released midway through the 1985 season, when he signed with the Oakland Athletics. He returned to the Yankees in 1986 and finished his career in the Bronx, making his final start in May 1989 at age 46. By then, he was the oldest player in the sport and had tied Deacon McGuire's record for most seasons played.

John was a four-time All-Star with a record of 288-231. During his time with the Yankees, he had consecutive 20-win seasons.

The New York Yankees released a statement mourning his passing: "The New York Yankees mourn the passing of Tommy John, who was a bedrock of our rotation during his time in pinstripes and a longtime favorite of Yankees fans. While his incredible longevity and post-surgery achievements changed the fortunes and trajectory of countless athletes around the world, it also overshadowed his excellence as a pitcher."

Former Yankees pitcher Ron Guidry, John's teammate, spoke of him at Old-Timers' Day: "It was great having him on the team. He was so knowledgeable. When we were together, we were pretty much 1-2 on the staff and having him around gave me great comfort. He could talk and it was nice to have him around because he would answer any question you had and he did so much in the game."

John did not attend the Yankees' Old-Timers' Day last weekend due to his health issues. He is survived by his wife, Cheryl, and other family members.