Tommy John Dies at 83

Tommy John, the former major league pitcher whose name became synonymous with ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, died Saturday night at his home in Bradenton, Florida, at 83 after hospice care. John won 288 games over a 26-year MLB career with Cleveland, the White Sox, Dodgers, Yankees, Angels and Athletics. In 1974 with the Dodgers, he underwent a tendon-graft elbow operation performed by Dr. Frank Jobe and became the first pitcher to return successfully from it. The procedure extended John’s career by 14 years and became a standard recovery path for pitchers with torn elbow ligaments.