Thomas Edward “Tommy” John (May 22, 1943-) pitched effectively for 26 years in the Major Leagues with five different clubs, but is best known for the injury he suffered and the revolutionary surgical procedure (which bears his name) he underwent to extend his career, and subsequently the careers of numerous young pitchers. John began his career with the Cleveland Indians (1963-1964) before being traded to the Chicago White Sox (1965-1971). He twice led the American League shutouts with the White Sox and earned his first of four All-Star selections on the South Side. After once more being traded, this time to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tommy went 11-5, 16-9 and 13-3 in his first three seasons (1972-1974), leading the National League in winning percentage in the latter two. Amidst the 1974 campaign, Tommy permanently damaged the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow, requiring surgery to prolong his career. He underwent what is now called “Tommy John” surgery, to which damaged ligament is removed from the elbow and replaced with the tendon from his non-pitching forearm. The soft-throwing John jokingly asked the doctor to “put in a Koufax fastball … he did, but it was Mrs. Koufax’s”. Tommy spent the next year and half on the disabled list recovering.
In 1976, he returned to post a .500 record of 10-10, but the surgery proved to be a complete success. For obvious reasons, he won the 1976 ML Hutch Award - as the payer who best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire – and the National League Comeback Player of the Year Award. In three of his next four seasons, he won 20 or more games, recording a career-high, now as a member of the New York Yankees, with 22 victories. Tommy John pitched 26 years for the Indians, White Sox, Dodgers (1972-1974, 1976-1978), the Yankees (1979-1982, 1986-1989), the California Angels (1982-1985) and the Oakland Athletics (1985). He pitched in three World Series with the Dodgers in 1977 and 1978 and the Yankees in 1981, ironically losing all three to other – the Yankees in 1977 and 1978 and the Dodgers in 1981. In 1981, he was also named the ML Lou Gehrig Memorial Award recipient. Over 26 years in the big leagues, Tommy John posted a 288-231 record with 2,245 strikeouts, 162 complete games, 46 shutouts and a 3.34 ERA in 760 game appearances. Though never an overpowering hurler, nor flashy, nor an ace, Tommy John may go down in the record books as the pitcher who changed the game the most by helping to lengthen the career of so many pitchers who suffered similar, almost career-threatening injuries. On a side note, on July 27, 1988 against the Milwaukee Brewers, Tommy set a Major League record by committing three errors on one single play, by booting a grounder and then throwing two wild pitches.
