Dodgers Mourn The Passing of Tommy John
LOS ANGELES – Longtime Dodger pitcher Tommy John passed away Saturday at the age of 83. The left-hander posted a remarkable 26-season career in the Major Leagues, more than half coming after the pioneering surgery that now bears his name and forever changed the trajectory of pitching in baseball.
A four-time All-Star (1968, 1978-80) and a three-time 20-game winner (1977, ’79, ’80), John posted a 288-231 record with a 3.34 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP and 2,245 strikeouts in 760 career games (700 starts). From a career standpoint, John ranks seventh all-time in games pitched by a starter and eighth in games started.
After spending his first nine seasons with the Cleveland Indians (1963-64) and the Chicago White Sox (1965-71), John was acquired by the Dodgers in a trade that sent him and Steve Huntz to Los Angeles for seven-time All-Star Dick Allen. Across six seasons in Dodger Blue, John spun an 87-42 record with a 2.97 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. He also won three National League pennants with the club (1974, ’77, ’78), appeared in one All-Star Game (1978) and finished second in National League Cy Young voting in 1977.
On July 17, 1974, John’s career was forever changed when he suffered an injury to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his throwing arm. The injury was originally thought to be a career-ender, but with the work of legendary surgeon Dr. Frank Jobe, John was not only able to return to the game he loved but pitch even better than he did prior to the injury.
After missing the entire 1975 season recovering from the UCL reconstruction surgery, John would pitch for another 14 seasons in the Major Leagues for the Dodgers (1976-78), Yankees (1979-82, 1986-89), Angels (1982-85) and Athletics (1985). During this time, John would appear in three consecutive All-Star Games from 1978-1980 and would go on to win more games post-surgery (164) than he won prior to Dr. Jobe performing the procedure (124). Now better known as “Tommy John surgery,” it has saved the pitching arms of thousands of pitchers since it was first performed nearly 50 years ago.
Following his retirement at the age of 46, John began broadcasting games for the Minnesota Twins and the Charlotte Knights. He also spent time coaching several different teams in the collegiate, minor and professional ranks.
“We are saddened to hear the news of Tommy John’s passing today,” said Stan Kasten, President & CEO, Los Angeles Dodgers. “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.”
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. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the Tommy John Fund at Duke University (duke.is/tommyjohnfund).
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