NPR (The Associated Press) - Tommy John, namesake for a pioneering elbow surgery that saved his career, dies at 83
The left-handed MLB pitcher was 31 years old when he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow in 1974, an injury that had been a death knell for pitchers' careers up to that point.
AI:Tommy John, the legendary left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher whose name became synonymous with a groundbreaking ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery, has died at the age of 83. When he suffered his career-threatening elbow injury in 1974 at age 31, the procedure was pioneering and revolutionized the sport by allowing players to recover from what was previously considered a career-ending ailment. His survival and subsequent success following the operation transformed modern sports medicine forever.Open