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RIP Tommy John

Posted on 8/16/26 at 4:23 pm
Posted by Bestbank Tiger
Premium Member
Member since Jan 2005
84173 posts
Posted on 8/16/26 at 4:23 pm
No link yet. Just came across on TV.
Posted by VADawg
Wherever
Member since Nov 2011
49670 posts
Posted on 8/16/26 at 4:25 pm to
Should be in the Hall of Fame. You cannot tell the story of baseball without him.
Posted by Bestbank Tiger
Premium Member
Member since Jan 2005
84173 posts
Posted on 8/16/26 at 4:27 pm to
quote:

Should be in the Hall of Fame. You cannot tell the story of baseball without him.


The surgery should put him over the top. 288 wins is a good case by itself.
Posted by mattz1122
Member since Oct 2007
57406 posts
Posted on 8/16/26 at 4:30 pm to
New surgery dropped?
Posted by shutterspeed
MS Gulf Coast
Member since May 2007
74666 posts
Posted on 8/16/26 at 5:12 pm to
Damn. That dude seemed like he was 80 even in the '90s.
Posted by Ghost of Colby
Alberta, overlooking B.C.
Member since Jan 2009
16460 posts
Posted on 8/16/26 at 5:29 pm to
Tommy John wasn’t young when he had his surgery. He made his MLB debut at age 20, and pitched for 12 seasons before he tore his UCL in the middle of the 1974 season. He was 31 at the time.

In many ways he had a better career post-surgery.

- Pre-Surgery (1963–1974): 124 wins, 12 seasons, standard peak single-season high of 16 wins.

- Recovery (1975): Missed the entire season following Dr. Frank Jobe’s experimental surgery.

- Post-Surgery (1976–1989): 164 wins, 14 seasons, including three 20-win seasons (1979, 1980, and 1982). Cy Young finalist 4 times (twice runner-up)
Posted by molsusports
Member since Jul 2004
37881 posts
Posted on 8/16/26 at 5:55 pm to
I didn't realize he was that excellent of a pitcher.

I met him recently. He, his wife, and his little dog Jack were all very nice. I believe he had liver cancer but didn't complain about the pain or other ill effects.

I held onto an autographed baseball from him for no good reason. It's impressive that (at face value) a historic name pitcher wasn't an a-hole like so many other people.
Posted by Clashmore Mike
Member since Oct 2014
1198 posts
Posted on 8/16/26 at 6:24 pm to
Dr Jobe-Wan Kenobi certainly was a skilled surgeon. He gave Tommy John's career "A New Hope"......
Posted by Boomdaddy65201
BoCoMo
Member since Mar 2020
4910 posts
Posted on 8/17/26 at 12:44 am to
quote:

In many ways he had a better career post-surgery.


He really did have a “bionic” arm post surgery, to put it into perspective he was an opening day starter in 1966 and 1989..

In 1974, Dr. Jobe gave it a 10% chance of success and it was a grueling 4 hour plus surgery at the time and post surgery Jobe had to go back in to save John’s left hand as it had shriveled to a claw do to severe nerve damage.

TJ isn’t in Cooperstown, but he is in the Smithsonian. He had to endure his left arm being in a full cast for 6 months post surgeries and the autographed cast, with the entire ‘74 Dodgers & Vin Scully is housed in the American sport history wing.
Posted by OU812
Michigan
Member since Apr 2004
13785 posts
Posted on 8/17/26 at 7:10 am to
I met him and got his autograph in the spring of 1989 at Grambling. The Yankees came down for a fundraiser/baseball game. Funny and loud! He could still throw a mean curve ball. I also met Ricky Henderson, Don Mattingly, Steve Sax, and George Steinbrenner. Actually sat 2 rows in front of George...he was quite the gentleman.
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