Tommy John, the pitcher whose namesake surgery changed baseball, has died at the age of 83. He was the first player to undergo the pioneering ligament-replacement operation that now bears his name.
TMZ.com reported that John died at his home in Florida, surrounded by his family, including his wife, Cheryl. He had recently been in hospice care and had undergone treatment related to a recurrence of bladder cancer.
Yankees lead tributes
The New York Yankees, one of John's former teams, issued 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,” the team said. “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, which included consecutive 20-win seasons with the Yankees.”
“We pause to remember the totality of his legacy – his competitiveness and skill, his penchant for conversation, his kind and gracious nature, and his stature as an athletic and medical pioneer. The Yankees extend our 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.”
A farewell letter to fans
Earlier this month, John wrote a farewell letter to fans. “I want to thank the Yankees organization + the Steinbrenner family for giving me this opportunity to say goodbye to everyone, along with all the friends + fans who followed me through my 26-year career,” he said. “Thanks for Dr Jobe, who saved my arm + 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 left-hander was 31 years old when he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow in 1974, a career-ending injury for pitchers at that time. John allowed Dr. Frank Jobe, the Dodgers' team physician, to replace the ligament with a tendon from his right forearm. Jobe gave the surgery 100-to-1 odds of being successful. “Dr Jobe, if you do your job, I’ll do mine,” John said at the time. John pitched another 14 seasons after the surgery.
A lasting legacy
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.
John was 124-106 with a 2.97 ERA over 355 appearances (318 starts) during his first 12 major league seasons. He returned from his surgery in 1976 to go 164-125 with a 3.66 ERA in 405 appearances (382 starts) over the remainder of his career. John pitched for six 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.
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’s Hall of Fame. John and his family had mixed feelings about the legacy of his operation. “I am sick my name is attached to a surgery happening in kids more than pros,” John tweeted in July 2018. John’s oldest son, Tommy III, became a chiropractor who wrote a book suggesting ways to prevent young athletes from having to undergo major sports-related surgery similar to what his father endured.
