Pitcher Tommy John had a medical procedure 50 years ago that would have a permanent positive effect on athletes’ careers. It’s now called Tommy John surgery.
Today, John, 81, lives a quiet life with his wife, Cheryl, in Southwest Florida. After 26 MLB seasons pitching for six clubs, starting in 1963 until spinning his last ball in 1989, John has earned a relaxing retirement. For many fans and sports writers, a case has been made for his Hall of Fame worthiness—288 victories, 162 complete games hurled, 760 game appearances, and his left arm throwing more than 4,700 innings.
Each season, the Hoosier from Terre Haute gave it his all—and his left elbow in particular—in hopes of performing at the highest level.
Now, in his senior years, John’s health is front and center. It’s on a level that is more personal rather than professional, like it was in 1974 when Dr. Frank Jobe performed a special procedure on the elbow of the then Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher.
Later this month, Sept. 25, marks the important anniversary. John, at age 31, had a tendon surgically taken from his right wrist and transferred to his left elbow. The surgery was performed to repair his torn left ulnar collateral ligament.
After completing a rehabilitation program, John returned to the Dodgers in April 1976. The graft took to his elbow, and the success of the procedure has since been referred to as Tommy John surgery.
Aside from the late Yankees Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig, John is the only other athlete to have a well-known medical condition or procedure associated with his name. Gehrig passed away in 1941 from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurological disorder now also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
John, a four-time MLB all-star, spoke about the changes that have taken place in today’s game.
“Baseball is off track,” John said. “They have the radar gun out. Players are trying to throw too hard.”
After his recovery from the career-saving procedure performed by Jobe, John returned to his MLB pitching duties for 14 more seasons. Three of his All-Star American and National League selections came after the 1976 season. In 1978, Brent Strom became the second pitcher to benefit from Tommy John surgery.
Once the elbow is surgically stable, recovery time can be between 12 and 18 months. Prior to the success of John’s elbow surgery, ball players who tore (partially or fully) their ulnar collateral ligament had no choice but to end their careers. Now, nearly 2,500 procedures have been performed that Jobe first successfully completed a half century ago. Once fearful, many patients now take a blase approach.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome
After successfully beating COVID-19 in 2020, John was confronted with another health scare, one presenting equal or potentially greater setbacks than what he had overcome.“I couldn’t walk for 9 months,” John told The Epoch Times earlier this week about his contracting Guillain-Barre syndrome. “At first, the treatment I was getting, my body wasn’t responding to.”
Happily, John reports that today he is able to go about his daily life using a walker, combined with assistance from his wife.
John reports receiving “lots” of fan mail. Clearly, the MLB public hasn’t forgotten the thrills the lefty pitcher provided during his long career.
Along with his fans keeping him in their memories, John is eager to reminisce about some of the people he worked for in the big leagues.
“Gene [the late California Angels owner Gene Autry] was very personable and very kind. I remember when our season would begin, he'd welcome us at family events, take out his guitar, and start singing,” recalls John.
“When I was with the Yankees, George [the late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner] was a good owner. He paid us well. Through him, I met [former President] Donald Trump. At the start of the Yankees’ seasons, the club would have welcome-home dinners, where the players and their wives would attend. In 1979, it was at the dinner where I met [Trump]. George and Trump were good friends.”
As John continues to reflect on the procedure that bears his name, he is equally proud to speak about remaining connected to the brotherhood of ballplayers with whom he shared so many of his springs and summers.
Three weeks ago at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, John attended the club’s alumni weekend, celebrating the rich history of those who came before and after him. Seeing his former teammate Dusty Baker was a highlight for John. And, since residing in the Sunshine State, he enjoys going to lunch with his former Yankees teammate Bucky Dent, who lives nearby.
John’s voice remains upbeat throughout his review of a rich past in baseball, where he pioneered the MLB landscape in several ways.
For fans and players alike, just the mention of Tommy John represents hope and passion for those who may be in need of positive motivation.
