Baseball world remembers Tommy John after his death

· Yahoo Sports

New York Mets players stand on the field during a moment of silence for Tommy John before a baseball game against the San Diego Padres Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, in New York. | Frank Franklin II

Legendary MLB pitcher Tommy John died Saturday at the age of 83.

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John played 26 seasons in the MLB, the third-most in league history behind Nolan Ryan’s and Cap Anson’s 27 seasons, according to ESPN. He played for six teams: Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, California Angels and Oakland Athletics.

Baseball fans unfamiliar with John’s career know — and fear — his name when they see it pop up in their phone’s notifications. John was the first to undergo an experimental ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery by Dr. Frank Jobe.

It was a “100-1 shot that it would permit him to continue pitching,” according to USA Today. Jobe “removed a tendon from John’s wrist, drilled four holes in the ulna and humerus bones of his left elbow, and grafted the tendons together, holding them in place with anchors.”

The surgery was nicknamed “Tommy John” and has extended the careers of several players, some of which paid tribute to him following his death.

New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole underwent Tommy John surgery last year. Following the Yankees’ 4-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, he praised John.

“I think the first thing that comes to mind is how much of a trailblazer he was and what great perseverance he had, venturing into the unknown with the surgery and really writing the book, writing the script for how to push through it and overcome it and ultimately have success afterwards,” Cole said, per the New York Post.

How social media reacted to Tommy John’s death

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