LOS ANGELES - Tommy John, a legendary Major League Baseball pitcher known for the pioneering surgery that bears his name and that has saved the careers of numerous players, has died, the Los Angeles Dodgers said Sunday. He was 83.
John won 288 games over 26 major league seasons through 1989 while pitching for several clubs, including the Dodgers, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees.
In 1974, the left-hander suffered an injury to the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm that was believed to be a career-ender.
However, with the work of renowned surgeon Frank Jobe, John was able to return to the mound and enjoyed many more successful seasons.
The procedure, now widely known as Tommy John surgery, has prolonged the careers of countless pitchers, including Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani, San Diego Padres right-hander Yu Darvish and Masumi Kuwata, who played with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
