At 83, baseball veteran Tommy John revealed that he will hang up his glove, bringing to a close a career that spanned more than two decades and a half‑century of life in the sport.
Over 26 seasons, from 1963 to 1989, John amassed 288 victories, placing him among the most durable right‑handed pitchers in the game’s history, a tally that still ranks 26th on the all‑time win list.
The Surgery That Redefined Pitching Careers
The milestone was made possible by a pioneering operation that John himself calls a miracle. In 1974, orthopedic surgeon Frank Jobe performed a tendon transfer to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament, a technique that would later bear his name.
What began as a life‑saving surgery for one pitcher evolved into a standard of care for athletes across baseball, extending the playing lives of stars such as Justin Verlander and Shohei Ohtani and reshaping the medical landscape of the sport.
John’s journey took him through a dozen franchises, including stints with the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, California Angels, Oakland Athletics and Cleveland Guardians, before he settled in Bradenton, Florida, where he now enjoys his retirement.
Even as he reflects on a career filled with triumphs, John acknowledges the battles he has faced off the field, including a recent bout with bladder cancer, and expresses deep gratitude for the support that sustained him.