Baseball legend Tommy John dies at 83

Former major-league left-hander Tommy John died at 83. Over a 26-year career he amassed 288 wins, four All-Star selections and a reputation as a durable starter for teams including the Dodgers and Yankees. In 1974 he became the first pitcher to undergo ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, a procedure that later bore his name and extended the careers of countless athletes.

John debuted with Cleveland in 1963 and pitched his final game for the Yankees in 1989 at age 46. After missing the 1975 season for surgery, he returned to post 164 wins, finishing second in the 1977 National League Cy Young voting and earning the nickname “The Bionic Man.” He later played for the Angels, Athletics and returned briefly to the Yankees before retiring.

"We are saddened to hear the news of Tommy John’s passing today," Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said in a statement. "Tommy was an exceptional pitcher throughout his career in Major League Baseball, and his courageous role in becoming the first to have surgery that would go on to bear his name can’t be overstated."

"The New York Yankees mourn the passing of Tommy John, who was a bedrock of our rotation during his time in pinstripes and a longtime favorite of Yankees fans," the Yankees said. "We pause to remember the totality of his legacy — his competitiveness and skill, his kind and gracious nature, and his stature as an athletic and medical pioneer."

Beyond baseball, John faced personal hardships, including the 1981 hospitalization of his young son and the 2010 death of his youngest son, which led him to establish a foundation focused on suicide prevention. After retiring, he worked as a broadcaster, minor-league coach and independent-league manager.

Dr. Frank Jobe, who performed the 1974 surgery, noted that the procedure was adapted from earlier treatments for polio patients and was not a revolutionary new technique.

John was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1943, excelled in baseball and basketball in high school, and signed with the Cleveland Indians at 18. He remains one of the longest-serving pitchers in modern baseball history.