The baseball world is mourning the passing of Tommy John, a legendary former Major League Baseball pitcher whose courageous journey with a groundbreaking elbow surgery became synonymous with the sport’s most significant moment. John, 83, died on Sunday, leaving behind a legacy of unparalleled performance and a profound impact on the game. His death marks the end of an era, as the ‘Bionic Man’ – a moniker he himself embraced – has finally ceased to exist. The Los Angeles Dodgers, his former team, expressed sorrow for his loss, acknowledging his immense influence on baseball history. John is survived by his wife and three children, Tommy, Travis, and Tamara, according to a statement from the Dodgers. The 83-year-old was reportedly in hospice care, a testament to the profound significance of his career. Stan Kasten, the Dodgers’ chief executive and president, offered a heartfelt tribute, stating that John’s ‘exceptional role’ in pioneering the surgery that would become known as the ‘John’ moniker was ‘unparalleled’. Kasten emphasized that John’s impact extended far beyond the field, touching the lives of players and fans across generations. John’s career began with a short stint in Cleveland before being traded to the Chicago White Sox. He began his career in 1974 when he played on the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he ultimately chose to retire. The team presented a letter from John to its social media pages, expressing gratitude to the owners and staff, and the doctor who performed the surgery. Dr. Frank Jobe, the Dodgers’ doctor at the time, performed the surgery to replace the ligament with a tendon from somewhere else in his body, a revolutionary procedure that became named after the pitcher who became known as the ‘Bionic Man’ following a thrilling return to a career-ending injury. John’s career in the major leagues spanned from 1975 to 1977, where he played 31 starts and managed two shutouts. Following his injury, John signed a three-year deal with the Yankees, a team that had just defeated the Dodgers to win the 1978 World Series. John’s career continued for 14 more years, pitching for the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland A’s, and the Yankees once again, before his retirement in 1989. He won 288 games in his 26-year career and recorded 2,245 strikeouts. While the Cy Young Award was never awarded to him, John’s surgery has become a landmark moment in baseball history, with the procedure becoming a pivotal point for many of the sport’s most celebrated pitchers. Cole, who returned to the Yankees after John’s retirement, expressed gratitude to John, stating that the surgery itself is saving the team, but that the player had to step up to the table and do it. He noted that John’s dedication and meticulous approach to rehabilitation were remarkably consistent. The Dodgers also noted that John’s impact on baseball is likely to be the most significant, as the surgery that bears his name has been performed by numerous pitchers across the league, including Shohei Ohtani, Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, and Jacob deGrom. The Dodgers’ victory over the Dodgers in the 1978 World Series season marked the end of the Dodgers’ 20-year drought. John’s final season was spent playing with the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland A’s, and the Yankees again, before his retirement in 1989. He won 288 games in his 26-year career and recorded 2,245 strikeouts. John never won the coveted Cy Young Award, but his impact on baseball is undoubtedly cemented, with the surgery that bears his name becoming a symbol of the sport’s most significant moment. The Dodgers expressed their sadness at his passing, and the entire baseball community is mourning a legend who gave the sport a new chapter, a chapter marked by the extraordinary surgical intervention that has become the ‘Bionic Man’ of baseball. The news of John’s death is a significant loss to the sport, and his legacy will be remembered for his remarkable career and the profound impact he had on baseball’s history.”}”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
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Source: NBC News
