More Than The Eponymous Surgery: Tommy John's Impact On Baseball

[Michael Trzinski]

Tommy John began his professional baseball career at the age of 18 in 1961 for the Dubuque Packers in the Midwest League, then a Class-D affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. He made his final appearance on May 25, 1989, pitching 5 1/3 innings in an 8-6 win over the California Angels. All told, John won 288 big-league games over a 26-year career.

But in 1974, John’s baseball life was in serious doubt. He suffered a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his elbow, which at that time was a career-ending injury. At the time of the surgery, Dr. Frank Jobe estimated the chances of success at one in 100. In September 1974, Dr. Jobe performed the four-hour procedure, grafting a tendon from John’s right forearm into his left elbow. The recovery included a second surgery to re-route a nerve in his elbow.

John attended spring training the following year in 1975 and progressed to the point where he made a few appearances in the Arizona Instructional League in September.

In 1976, John pitched in spring training for the Dodgers and made 31 starts for Los Angeles during the regular season. He made at least 30 starts in eight of the next 12 seasons until he was released by the New York Yankees midway through the 1989 season at the age of 46. He did not pitch in the big leagues again.

The soft-tossing left-hander won 20 games three times during his career and was an All-Star four times.

His best stretch was from 1977-1980, during which he won 20, 17, 21, and 22 games, respectively. He completed 51 games and posted 12 shutouts in that timeframe. He pitched for three different teams in the postseason—Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and the California Angels.

John made 700 starts (760 appearances), completed 162 games, and posted 46 shutouts. He had a career bWAR of 62.1, an ERA+ of 111, and a FIP of 3.38. All in all, it was a spectacular career, especially in light of his major elbow surgery in 1974.

Although he fell short of the Hall of Fame, his legacy was the surgery that was named after him. In 2012, ESPN’s Lindsey Berra estimated that roughly 14% of all major league pitchers had undergone the Tommy John procedure at some point in their careers. The operation Dr. Jobe performed over 50 years ago has become a common occurrence among big-league pitchers. According to USA Today in 2024, 36% of major league pitchers had TJ surgery at one time. Many underwent multiple surgeries, including four times for Hung-Chih Kuo and three for Tejay Antone.

In fact, by 2014, the American Medical Association determined that 67% of the UCL operations were performed on athletes 16-20 years old.

John’s impact beyond the eponymous surgery included advocacy for suicide prevention after his son Taylor committed suicide in 2010 at the age of 28. John supported the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and participated in fundraising efforts at various benefits.

Having pitched in the big leagues until age 46, John inspired other players to compete past the ‘normal’ age of retirement. Players like Jamie Moyer (49), Julio Franco (49), Nolan Ryan (46), and Randy Johnson (46) all had effective seasons well into their 40s.

John also traveled the country in support of his Let’s Do It Foundation, promoting awareness and prevention of elbow injuries in baseball. One of his most prominent points was for young players to play different sports during the year. In 2014, he told players at Bayside (NY) high school that they shouldn’t make baseball a year-round sport. “You get burned out mentally. Secondly, you get burned out physically. Play other sports. It’s called cross-training. Do something else, play basketball, play football.”

Tommy John not only had an impact on the sport with the surgery that was named after him, but also on young ball players in an effort to keep them healthy, and in helping children and adults who led troubled lives. Yes, Tommy John is known mostly for the UCL procedure, but his life was much, much more.

Rest in Peace, TJ.

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[DocBauer]

I remember Tommy John post surgery. I was too young to remember his previous velocity. But I saw enough of his post surgery with the Yankees and Rangers to remind how great he was with mostly breaking stuff. 

The truth is, medical technology, and rehab, has taken TJ surgery to an entirely different level over the years

 But we should NEVER forget the pioneer of that procureder that we all take for granted these days

TJ had a long and successful career. I'd bet he'd be happy to know he was a guinea pig for countless pitchers after him who have found new life and success