Tommy John, namesake of pioneering elbow surgery, dies at 83

Tommy John, the left-handed pitcher whose name became synonymous with the career-saving elbow surgery he pioneered, died Saturday at his home in Bradenton, Florida, at age 83. He had been in hospice care, according to his agent Mike Maguire Source: AP News. John's 26-year MLB career, spanning 1963 to 1989, included 288 wins, a 3.34 ERA, and four All-Star selections Source: NPR.

The surgery

In 1974, at age 31, John tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow—an injury that typically ended careers. He allowed Dodgers team physician Dr. Frank Jobe to replace the ligament with a tendon from his right forearm, a procedure Jobe gave 100-to-1 odds of success Source: AP News. After missing the 1975 season, John returned and pitched until 1989, making 382 of his 700 career starts after the surgery Source: CNN. The procedure, now known as Tommy John surgery, has since been performed on more than 2,600 big leaguers, including Shohei Ohtani and Justin Verlander Source: AP News.

Career and legacy

John pitched for six teams, but found his greatest success with the Dodgers, posting an 87-42 record and a 2.97 ERA, and later had consecutive 20-win seasons with the Yankees Source: LA Times, CNN. He was the second-winningest pitcher since 1900 not elected to the Hall of Fame Source: NPR. In an Aug. 8 letter to fans, John wrote, "I will never forget you" Source: AP News. Dodgers president Stan Kasten called his impact "felt by ballplayers of all ages and will be for generations to come" Source: LA Times.