Baseball legend dead at 83 just days after writing heartbreaking goodbye to Yankees fans
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By MAX WINTERS, US DEPUTY SPORTS EDITOR
Published: | Updated:
Baseball legend Tommy John has died at the age of 83.
A statement released by his agent, Mike Maguire, revealed John passed away peacefully at his home in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. He was surrounded by his wife, Cheryl, and family members.
The four-time All-Star is famous for being the first player to undergo the elbow surgery that is now named after him and has helped countless pitchers to save their careers.
John had already been an All-Star with the Chicago White Sox and played for the Los Angeles Dodgers when he injured his UCL in his elbow in 1974.
At the time, many considered it to be a career-ending issue but Dodgers team doctor Dr. Frank Jobe performed the procedure on him and he went on to pitch for another 14 years.
Across a 26-year MLB career, John won 288 games as a pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, California Angels, Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees.
Baseball legend Tommy John has died at the age of 83
Last week, John sent a heartbreaking farewell statement to the Yankees and the team's fans as he battled health problems.
John and other Yankees legends were honored during the team's Old-Timers' Day on August 8 before their game against the Atlanta Braves but he was unable to make the ceremony in person.
The team released a statement from him on social media and he told Yankees fans: 'I will never forget you.'
'I want to thank the Yankees organization & the Steinbrenner family for giving me this opportunity to say goodbye to everyone, along with all the friends & fans who followed me throughout my 26-year career,' John wrote.
'Thank you to all the fans who supported me & my teammates for 26 years. I will never forget you.
'The day I left for my first job as a pitcher, my father looked at me & said, "Good luck, Tommy. Just remember one thing: whether you make it big in the big leagues or you don't, you'll always just be Tommy John from Terre Haute, Indiana."
'I've never forgotten those words. Thank you & God Bless.'
John continued: 'Thanks to Dr. Jobe, who saved my arm & made it possible for me to continue pitching,' John added in a statement. 'That surgery has since gone on to save the careers of countless pitchers, including many of the very best in the game today.'
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