Tommy John, Pitcher Renowned for Elbow Surgery, Dies at 83
Tommy John, the former MLB pitcher famous for the elbow surgery that bears his name, has passed away at the age of 83.
Houston, TX, August 16, 2026 —
Tommy John, the former Major League Baseball pitcher whose name became synonymous with a groundbreaking elbow surgical procedure, has died. He was 83.
John pitched in the major leagues for 26 seasons, from 1963 to 1989, playing for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Yankees. He was a four-time All-Star and a two-time World Series champion with the Dodgers.
His career is perhaps most famously remembered for the reconstructive surgery he underwent on his ulnar collateral ligament in 1974. Performed by Dr. Frank Jobe, the procedure was one of the first of its kind and has since become standard for pitchers and other athletes suffering from similar injuries. The surgery, which allowed John to return to pitching at a high level, has since been widely referred to as “Tommy John surgery.”
Story summarized from the original created by ESPN on abc7.com, see more information here.
