Tommy John, Surgery Namesake, Dies at 83

Tommy John, the durable left-handed pitcher whose name became synonymous with a revolutionary elbow surgery that saved his career and those of countless athletes, has died at the age of 83. He passed away on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at his home in Florida, surrounded by his family. His death was announced by the Los Angeles Dodgers and confirmed by his agent, Mike Maguire.

John’s major league career spanned 26 seasons from 1963 to 1989, during which he compiled a 288-231 record with a 3.34 earned run average. He was a four-time All-Star, but his most enduring legacy is the groundbreaking procedure he underwent in 1974. While pitching for the Dodgers against the Montreal Expos on July 17, 1974, John tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow, an injury that was typically a career-ending diagnosis at the time.

Dodgers team physician Dr. Frank Jobe proposed a then-radical solution: replacing the ligament with a tendon from John’s right forearm. Performed on September 25, 1974, the surgery was considered experimental, with Dr. Jobe giving it only 1-in-100 odds of success. After missing the entire 1975 season to rehabilitate, John returned to the mound in 1976 and enjoyed...