Thomas Edward John Jr. (born May 22, 1943), nicknamed "The Bionic Man," is an American retired professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
who played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) for 26 seasons between 1963 and 1989. He played for the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...
,
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
,
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
,
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
,
California Angels, and
Oakland Athletics. He was a four-time
MLB All-Star
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...
and has the third-most wins (288) of any pitcher since 1900 not in the
Hall of Fame. Known for his longevity, John was the Opening Day starter six times – three for the White Sox (1966, 1970, and 1971) and three times for the Yankees (1981, 1982, and 1989).
At the age of 18, in 1961, John was signed by the Indians, who were impressed with his
curveball. After three seasons in the
minor leagues
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in No ...
for them, he was called up for the first time in 1963. He pitched two seasons for Cleveland before getting traded to the White Sox, with whom he would spend seven seasons. He established himself as a major league starter in 1965 and became Chicago's
Opening Day starter in 1966. In 1968, he finished fifth in the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
(AL) with a 1.98
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA) and was named to his first
All-Star team, though he missed the end of the season after he was injured in a fight with
Dick McAuliffe
Richard John McAuliffe (November 29, 1939 – May 13, 2016) was an American professional baseball shortstop / second baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers (1960–73) and Boston Red Sox (1974–75). He was a ...
. In 1971, pitching coach
Johnny Sain
John Franklin "Johnny" Sain (September 25, 1917 – November 7, 2006) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who was best known for teaming with left-hander Warren Spahn on the Boston Braves teams from 1946 to 1951. He ...
tried to have John throw a
slider
Slider or Sliders may refer to:
Arts
* K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise
* '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex
* ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series
* ...
more, but John had his highest ERA since 1964 and was traded to the Dodgers for
Dick Allen
Richard Anthony Allen (March 8, 1942 – December 7, 2020) was an American professional baseball player. During his fifteen-year-long Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he played as a first baseman, third baseman, and outfielder, most notably ...
after the season. He won 11 games in 1972 with the Dodgers, then led the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
(NL) in
winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...
over the next two seasons. In 1974, though, he suffered a potentially career-ending injury when he
tore his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in a game against the
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...
. Dr.
Frank Jobe
Frank James Jobe (July 16, 1925 – March 6, 2014) was an American orthopedic surgeon and co-founder of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic. Jobe pioneered both elbow ligament replacement and major reconstructive shoulder surgery for basebal ...
, the Dodger physician, performed
ligament replacement surgery on John later that year. He missed the 1975 season recovering from surgery, but he became the first pitcher to successfully return to baseball following such surgery. Tommy John Surgery has since become a common procedure among baseball pitchers, with one out of seven MLB pitchers in 2012 having received it at some point during their careers.
John had a 10–10 record his first year back from recovery. In 1977, John had his first career 20-win season, going 20–7 with a 2.78 ERA as the Dodgers won the
NL West
The National League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed for the 1969 season when the National League expanded to 12 teams by adding the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos. For purpose of keeping a re ...
and reached the
1977 World Series
The 1977 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1977 season. The 74th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees and the Natio ...
. He helped the Dodgers return to the World Series in 1978 with a 17–10 record before leaving for the Yankees as a free agent. With the Yankees, John posted 20-win seasons in 1979 and 1980; he was an All-Star in those years as well as in 1978, his final year with the Dodgers. He appeared in three World Series contested between the Dodgers and Yankees, his only World Series appearances, and pitched for the losing team in all three. He was traded to the California Angels in 1982, for whom he made two starts in the
AL Championship Series. He remained with the team until 1985, when he was released, though he spent the second half of the season pitching for the Oakland Athletics. Unsigned to begin 1986, it appeared that John's career might be over, but injuries to Yankee pitchers prompted New York to re-sign him. John won 13 games for the Yankees in 1987, then became the oldest player in baseball in 1988 following
Phil Niekro
Philip Henry Niekro ( ; April 1, 1939 – December 26, 2020), nicknamed "Knucksie", was an American baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball, 20 of them with the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves. Niekro's 318 career victor ...
's retirement. In 1989, he tied
Deacon McGuire
James Thomas "Deacon" McGuire (November 18, 1863 – October 31, 1936) was an American professional baseball player, manager and coach whose career spanned the years 1883 to 1915. He played 26 seasons in Major League Baseball, principally as a ca ...
's record for most seasons pitched (26, later broken by
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr. (born January 31, 1947), nicknamed "the Ryan Express", is an American former professional baseball pitcher and sports executive. Over a record 27-year playing career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanning four decades, Ryan ...
) before retiring.
From 1995 through 2009, John was on the Hall of Fame ballot; he never received more than 31.7% of the votes (75% is required for election) but remains eligible to be chosen by the Modern Era Subcommittee of the
Veterans Committee
The Veterans Committee is the popular name of various committees of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum that elect participants other than recently retired players.
Originally, it referenced the National Baseball Hall of Fame Committee ...
. He served as a broadcaster for the
Minnesota Twins and the Yankees in the 1990s, then managed the
Bridgeport Bluefish
The Bridgeport Bluefish were an American minor league baseball team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The team was a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which was not affiliated with Major League Baseba ...
from 2007 through the first half of the 2009 season. Since retiring, he has served as a motivational speaker and also founded the "Let's Do It" Foundation, dedicated to raising awareness about suicides and preventing them.
Early life
John grew up in
Terre Haute, Indiana. As a youth, he often played
sandlot ball
Sandlot ball or sandlot baseball is a competitive and athletic sports game that follows the basic rules and procedures of baseball. It is often less organized and structured, as the name alludes to a makeshift field or an empty lot.
History and ...
with other kids, either at Spencer Field or Woodrow Wilson field.
Arley Andrews, a former minor league pitcher and a friend of John's father, taught John to throw a
curveball, which would be John's main pitch. John was an outstanding
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
and
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player at Gerstmeyer High School in
Terre Haute, Indiana. He had a 28–2 record as a
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
.
Athletics did not get in the way of his schoolwork, as John graduated as Gerstmeyer's 1961
valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title for the highest-performing student of a graduating class of an academic institution.
The valedictorian is commonly determined by a numerical formula, generally an academic institution's grade point average (GPA ...
. School faculty forbade John from delivering a valedictory address because of his
stutter. Several colleges recruited John as a basketball player, including the
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a public land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, the university is one of the state ...
, but John also caught the eye of
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...
' scout
Johnny Schulte
John Clement Schulte (September 8, 1896 – June 28, 1978) was an American catcher and longtime coach in professional baseball. A native of Fredericktown, Missouri, Schulte batted left-handed, threw right-handed and was listed as tall and .
Sc ...
, who worried that John needed more of a
fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. " Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thr ...
to succeed but considered his curveball already a major league pitch. John picked baseball and signed with the Indians after graduating, getting assigned to the
Dubuque Packers
Minor league baseball teams have operated in the city of Dubuque, Iowa under a variety of names in various leagues, playing in 52 seasons between 1879 and 1976. Dubuque teams were an affiliate of the Houston Astros (1975–1976), Kansas City Royal ...
of the
Class D Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
.
Playing career
Minor leagues (1961–1963)
John had a 10–4
record in 1961 but had some trouble with the
Charleston Indians of the
Class A Eastern League in 1962. "I was rearing back on every pitch and firing with all my strength at the strike zone," he said. "As a result I kept getting behind in the ball-and-strike count, often running it to three balls and no strikes, so I just had to put my fastball right over the plate and get it creamed."
This led to a lot of
walks, but player-coach Steve Jankowski worked with him, suggesting that John throw less hard so that he would have more control. The alterations helped John get called up to the
Class AAA
Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...
Jacksonville Suns
The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in the area. The team pla ...
of the
International League during the year, and John won two games for them with the playoffs. He started 1963 with Jacksonville, got sent down to Charleston, went 9–2 with a 1.61 ERA for the West Virginian Indians, and got called up to the
major leagues in September at the age of twenty.
Cleveland Indians (1963–1964)
On September 6, 1963, John started what would become a 26-year major league career, allowing one
unearned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an error ...
in one
inning of a 7–2 loss to the
Washington Senators. Used at first as a reliever, he finished the year with three
starts. Though his record was 0–2, his
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA) was 2.21. Cleveland manager
Birdie Tebbetts
George Robert "Birdie" Tebbetts (November 10, 1912 – March 24, 1999) was an American professional baseball player, manager, scout and front office executive. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for the Detroit Tigers, ...
called his fastball "deceptive."
In his first start of 1964, on May 3, John threw a
shutout
In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball.
Shutouts are usuall ...
against the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
for his first major league win in the second game of a
doubleheader. He won two of his first three games but then lost eight decisions in a row and got sent to AAA (now the
Portland Beavers
The Portland Beavers was the name of separate minor league baseball teams, which represented Portland, Oregon, in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). The team was established in 1903, the first year of the PCL.
Franchise history
Many baseball teams ...
of the
Pacific Coast League) in July.
Indians' pitching coach
Early Wynn
Early Wynn Jr. (January 6, 1920 – April 4, 1999), nicknamed "Gus", was an American professional baseball right-handed pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox, dur ...
had been trying to get John to throw a
slider
Slider or Sliders may refer to:
Arts
* K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise
* '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex
* ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series
* ...
, but John altered his grip, affecting his control.
He returned to throwing just a fastball and a curveball in the minors and was called up for a few games in September by the Indians.
After the season, he was sent to the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
as part of a three-way
trade
Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market.
An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct excha ...
between Cleveland, Chicago, and the
Kansas City Athletics
The history of the Athletics Major League Baseball franchise spans the period from 1901 to the present day, having begun as a charter member franchise in the new American League in Philadelphia before moving to Kansas City in 1955 for 13 sea ...
that sent
Rocky Colavito to Cleveland.
Chicago White Sox (1965–1971)
John's first appearances with the White Sox were in
relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
. During the first half of the 1965 season, he and
Juan Pizarro alternatively spent time as Chicago's fifth starter in the rotation. By the second half, however, he had cemented himself within the team's starting rotation. September 25, he held the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
to one run and hit a go-ahead
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
against
Bill Stafford to give himself a 3–1 victory. In 39 games (27 starts), he had a 14–7 record, a 3.09 ERA, 126
strikeouts, 58 walks, and 162
hits allowed
In Baseball statistics, hits allowed (HA) signifies the total number of hits allowed by a pitcher.
See also
*Baseball statistics
Baseball statistics play an important role in evaluating the progress of a player or team.
Since the flow of a bas ...
in innings.
By 1966, manager
Eddie Stanky
Edward Raymond Stanky (born Stankiewicz (September 3, 1915 – June 6, 1999) was an American professional baseball second baseman, shortstop, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers, Boston ...
had made John his
Opening Day starter.
He tied for the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
(AL) lead with five shutouts during the season.
Two of these, May 7 against the
Detroit Tigers and August 12 against the
California Angels, came on days when the White Sox only scored one run for him.
In 34 games (33 starts), he had a 14–11 record, a 2.62 ERA, 138 strikeouts, 57 walks, and 195 hits in 223 innings.
His 2.62 ERA placed fifth in the league, and his 10
complete games tied for ninth (with
Mudcat Grant
James Timothy "Mudcat" Grant Jr. (August 13, 1935 – June 11, 2021) was an American baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos ...
).
Once again in 1967, John led the AL in shutouts, this time with six. He had a season-high nine strikeouts in a shutout of the Senators on June 13.
On July 4, he shut out the defending-
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
champion Orioles, limiting Baltimore to two hits. July 22, he left a game against the Athletics after facing just two batters and did not pitch again until August 20.
He was plagued in the season's second half by a severe gastrointestinal virus that caused him to lose 28 pounds. At season's end, his record was just 10–13, but his 2.47 ERA ranked fourth in the league.
He had 110 strikeouts, 47 walks, and 143 hits allowed in innings.
1968 started out as John's best season thus far in his career. On June 30, he shut out the Tigers in a 12–0 victory. With a 1.78 ERA in the first half, he was named to the
All-Star Game
An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or d ...
for the first time in his career.
Another highlight came against Cleveland August 9, when he held the Indians scoreless for seven innings and scored the only run of the game. He had a 1.98 ERA through 25 starts with the White Sox in 1968.
August 22 of that year, with a 3-2 count on
Dick McAuliffe
Richard John McAuliffe (November 29, 1939 – May 13, 2016) was an American professional baseball shortstop / second baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers (1960–73) and Boston Red Sox (1974–75). He was a ...
, John threw ball four over McAuliffe's head. An angry McAuliffe charged the mound and started a fight between the two players. McAuliffe was fined and suspended; John was not punished, but he tore some shoulder ligaments in the scuffle and missed the rest of the season with an injury.
Thirty years later, McAuliffe said in an interview that he still thought John was trying to hit him in that game.
White Sox'
general manager
A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
(GM)
Ed Short Edwin Gerald Short (July 27, 1919 – July 16, 1984) was an American professional baseball front office executive. Short worked for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball for over 20 years, including nine seasons as the team's general manag ...
noted that this was unlikely given that the pitch before the fight came on a 3-2 count, resulting in a walk for McAuliffe.
Though pitcher ERAs were down across baseball in 1968, John's still ranked fifth in the league. He had a 10–5 record and gave up just 135 hits in innings.
John recovered in time for the 1969 season, though
Gary Peters
Gary Charles Peters Sr. (born December 1, 1958) is an American lawyer, politician, and former military officer serving as the junior United States senator from Michigan since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. representa ...
got the Opening Day start, with John second in the rotation. In his first start of the year, against the Athletics on April 9, John allowed only four hits in a complete game shutout, as Chicago won 3–0. He held the Indians scoreless for innings on May 10, earning the victory as the White Sox prevailed by a score of 4–0. On June 20, in the first game of a doubleheader, he held the Angels to one run over 10 innings but received a no-decision in a 12-inning, 2–1 defeat. John was 6–11 on September 1, but he won his last three decisions to finish the season 9–11.
In one of those wins, on September 19, he allowed eight hits but no runs in a 7–0 victory over the
Kansas City Royals. In 33 starts, John had a 3.25 ERA, 128 strikeouts, 90 walks, and 230 hits allowed in innings.
In 1970, John got the Opening Day start but struggled, giving up six runs (five earned) in innings as the Twins beat the White Sox 12–0 on April 7. In fact, he lost his first five starts before defeating the Orioles on April 30.
On June 12, he allowed only two hits in a complete game shutout over the Senators, as the White Sox won the game 6–0. He lost four starts in a row after that game, then won his next five decisions.
On July 26, he allowed seven hits in a complete game shutout of the Tigers, which the White Sox won 4–0. In the first game of a doubleheader against the Yankees on August 23, he allowed only four hits in a complete game shutout that the White Sox won 2–0. John finished the year with a 12–17 record.
His 17 losses tied teammate
Gerry Janeski for third in the AL, and teammate
Joe Horlen
Joel Edward Horlen (August 14, 1937 – April 10, 2022) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1961 to 1972 for the Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics. In references, he is called Joe H ...
was fifth with 16. John also finished fourth in walks (101, behind
Sam McDowell
Samuel Edward Thomas McDowell (born September 21, 1942), is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a starting pitcher from 1961 to 1975, most notably for the Cleveland Indians. A six-time All-Star, ...
's 131,
Mickey Lolich
Michael Stephen Lolich (born September 12, 1940) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from 1963 until 1979, almost entirely for the Detroit Tigers. A three-time All-Star ...
's 109, and
Jim Rooker
James Phillip Rooker (born September 23, 1942) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and broadcaster.
A left-hander, Rooker pitched for the Detroit Tigers (1968), Kansas City Royals (1969–1973) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1974–1980).
Early ...
's 102), and he led the AL in
wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch (WP) is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, or the batter (on an uncaught third str ...
es, throwing what would be a career-high 17.
His ERA was 3.27, he struck out 138 hitters, and he had fewer hits allowed (253) than innings pitched ().
Despite all his losses, he was the only Chicago pitcher to start 10 or more games and post an ERA under 4.75.
Johnny Sain
John Franklin "Johnny" Sain (September 25, 1917 – November 7, 2006) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who was best known for teaming with left-hander Warren Spahn on the Boston Braves teams from 1946 to 1951. He ...
became the White Sox' pitching coach in 1971, and he was determined to get John to throw a slider more.
This caused trouble for John, who had his highest ERA since 1964.
Through his first 11 games, his ERA was 6.08, but he posted a 2.97 ERA in his last 27 games.
In the first game of a doubleheader against the defending World Champion Orioles on May 31, he threw a shutout in a 1–0 victory. On June 17, he held the Twins to three runs over 10 innings. The White Sox pinch-hit for him in the 11th, took a 6–3 lead, then lost 7–6 after three relievers gave up four runs in the bottom of the inning. He struck out a season-high nine hitters on June 29 but also gave up four runs (two earned) in a 5–2 loss to the
Milwaukee Brewers.
In 38 games (35 starts), he had a 13–16 record, a 3.61 ERA, three shutouts, 131 strikeouts, 58 walks, and 244 hits in innings pitched.
His 16 losses tied him for seventh in the AL with
Ray Culp
Raymond Leonard Culp (born August 6, 1941) is an Americans, American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (–), Chicago Cubs (), and Boston Red Sox (–). MLB career
Ray was ...
and
Dick Bosman
Richard Allen Bosman (born February 17, 1944) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Senators / Texas Rangers (1966–73), Cleveland Indians (1973–75), and Oakland Athl ...
.
Los Angeles Dodgers (1972–1978)
1972–1974: The first years
John was traded along with
Steve Huntz
Stephen Michael Huntz (born December 3, 1945, at Cleveland, Ohio) is a retired American professional baseball player who played infielder in the Major Leagues between and for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres. ...
from the White Sox to the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
for
Dick Allen
Richard Anthony Allen (March 8, 1942 – December 7, 2020) was an American professional baseball player. During his fifteen-year-long Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he played as a first baseman, third baseman, and outfielder, most notably ...
at the
Winter Meetings
Representatives of all 30 Major League Baseball teams and their 120 Minor League Baseball affiliates convene for four days each December in the Winter Meetings to discuss league business and conduct off-season trades and transactions. Attendees in ...
on December 2, 1971. He got along much better with
Red Adams
Charles Dwight "Red" Adams (October 7, 1921 – January 18, 2017) was an American professional baseball pitcher, scout and pitching coach. The native of Parlier, California, pitched only briefly in Major League Baseball, but had a lengthy career a ...
, the Dodger pitching coach, who encouraged John to use his soft fastball instead of trying to rely on his breaking pitches. "You'll get plenty of batters out with that," Adams said, praising the movement John put on his fastball.
He gave up 13 hits and five runs on July 12 but was allowed to complete the game as the Dodgers beat the
Philadelphia Phillies by a score of 9–5. Six days later, he pitched nine innings and only allowed one unearned run but settled for a no-decision, as the Dodgers defeated the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
2–1 in the 10th inning. On August 3, he gave up only three hits in a complete game, 3–0 shutout victory over the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
. Though John made 29 starts for the Dodgers in 1972, his season ended prematurely on September 23, due to an injury suffered in a game against the Giants. John singled against
Frank Reberger
Frank Beall Reberger (born June 7, 1944) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and coach in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants from 1968 to 1972.
Early life and amateur ...
in the third, advanced to second on a walk, and attempted to score on a single by
Bill Buckner
William Joseph Buckner (December 14, 1949 – May 27, 2019) was an American first baseman and left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for five teams from through , most notably the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red ...
. As he slid into home, though (where he was called out), he jammed his throwing elbow hard into the ground, dislodging bone chips. He pitched more innings before getting taken out of the game, but took the remainder of the year off and had surgery to clear out the elbow.
John had an 11–5 record, a 2.89 ERA, 117 strikeouts, 40 walks, and 172 hits allowed in innings.
His .688
winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...
was fifth in the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
(NL).
In his first start of 1973 for the Dodgers, on April 8 against the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...
, John threw scoreless ball for innings, earning the win in a 4–0 victory. On June 18, he allowed eight runs in only one inning as the Dodgers were defeated 16–3 by the Phillies, but only two were earned (the rest were due to a
Ron Cey
Ronald Charles Cey (; born February 15, 1948), nicknamed "Penguin", is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from through , most notably as an integral member of the Los Angeles Do ...
error
An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'.
In statistics ...
). He held the
Chicago Cubs to five hits on July 13 in a 5–0, complete game shutout victory. On August 24, he had a better start against the Phillies, limiting them to three hits in a 3–0, complete game shutout victory. That game was the first of six straight decisions John would win through the end of the season.
With a 16–7 record at season's end, John tied with three others for seventh in the NL in wins and led the NL with a .696 winning percentage. He recorded 116 strikeouts, 50 walks, and 202 hits allowed in 218 innings of work.
John began 1974 as the Dodgers' number two starter, behind
Don Sutton
Donald Howard Sutton (April 2, 1945 – January 19, 2021) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 23 seasons as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakla ...
in the rotation. He threw a shutout against the Padres in his first start on April 6, then threw eight shutout innings against the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...
four days later. On April 25, he held the Phillies to four hits and no runs in a complete game shutout that the Dodgers won 1–0. The win was his fifth in five games. After a loss on May 5, he won five decisions in a row, not losing again until June 18. From June 28 through July 7, he won three straight starts.
1974–1975: The injury, the surgery, the recovery
In the middle of an excellent 1974 season, John had a 13–3 record as the Dodgers were en route to their first NL pennant in eight years.
He led the NL in wins coming into the All-Star break but was left off the roster, as the Dodgers already had
Andy Messersmith
John Alexander "Andy" Messersmith (born August 6, 1945) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 12-year baseball career, he pitched for the California Angels (1968–72), Los Angeles Dodgers (1973–75 and 1979), Atlanta B ...
and
Mike Marshall on the team. "If I don't belong on the team, there is no justice in baseball," John said on July 17. "It really sets you back. I've had a great year, I've worked hard and yet I can't even get picked for the All-Star team." Bigger disappointment followed for John in that evening's game against the
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...
. With the Dodgers leading 4–0 in the third inning, John tried to throw a sinking fastball to
Hal Breeden. Suddenly, he felt the "strangest sensation I had ever known...right at the point where I put force on the pitch, the point where my arm is back and bent, something happened," he explained. "It felt as if I had left my arm someplace else. It was as if my body continued to go forward and my left arm had just flown out to right field, independent of the rest of me."
John had permanently damaged the
ulnar collateral ligament Ulnar collateral ligament (or UCL), may refer to:
* Ulnar carpal collateral ligament
* Ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint
The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) or internal lateral ligament is a thick triangular ligament at the medial aspec ...
in his pitching arm; he threw one more pitch before having manager
Walt Alston
Walter Emmons Alston (December 1, 1911 – October 1, 1984), nicknamed "Smokey", was an American baseball player and manager in Major League Baseball He is best known for managing the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1954 through 1976, and sig ...
remove him from the game. Initially, he was uncertain how serious the injury was; Dr.
Frank Jobe
Frank James Jobe (July 16, 1925 – March 6, 2014) was an American orthopedic surgeon and co-founder of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic. Jobe pioneered both elbow ligament replacement and major reconstructive shoulder surgery for basebal ...
, the Dodgers' team physician, advised John to rest the arm for a few days and treat it with ice. After a month, though, the injury had not improved. John attempted to pitch batting practice in New York, and when he failed to get much velocity on his pitches, he told Alston he was likely done for the season.
In 22 starts for the Dodgers, he had a 13–3 record, a 2.59 ERA, 78 strikeouts, 42 walks, and 133 hits allowed in 153 innings. He also threw three shutouts and led the NL with a .813 winning percentage.
With his career in doubt, John decided to allow Dr. Jobe to attempt a revolutionary surgical operation. This operation, now known as
Tommy John surgery, replaced the ligament in the elbow of John's pitching arm with a tendon from his right forearm. Though the procedure had actually been performed on other people before, it was usually conducted on wrists and hands; John was the first baseball pitcher to have it done on his elbow.
The surgery was performed on September 25, 1974, and it took four hours; Dr. Jobe made holes in the humerus and ulna bones of John's left arm and used anchors to insert the tendon in what was roughly a figure-eight shape.
It seemed unlikely John would ever be able to pitch again, as most pitchers in the past who had surgery on their arms never were effective again. Jobe gave the operation 100-1 odds of being successful, but John had it anyway, as his other option was to start working at a friend's car dealership in Terre Haute.
The recovery was long and slow. Initially, John's left hand was shriveled and he lacked feeling in several of his fingers, due to damage to the ulnar nerve; Dr. Jobe performed a second procedure to reroute the nerve that was necessary to John's full recovery. His arm was in a cast until January 1975, and once it was removed, John began performing exercises seven days a week to rebuild strength in the arm. He attended
spring training with the Dodgers in 1975, by which point he had recovered the full range of motion of his arm but still lacked feeling in some of his fingers, preventing him from gripping the ball properly. For six weeks, he would tape the fingers that lacked feeling to ones that had it, then feebly throw balls against a wall for a while.
John also worked with teammate and pitcher
Mike Marshall, who had a Master's degree in
kinesiology
Kinesiology () is the scientific study of human body movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, anatomical, biomechanical, pathological, neuropsychological principles and mechanisms of movement. Applications of kinesiology to human healt ...
and who was said to know how to help pitchers recover from injuries, on learning a different grip to use while pitching.
In the midst of doubts about his ability to come back, John kept repeating Luke 1:37 to himself: "For with God, nothing shall be impossible."
Finally, in June, feeling came back to John's injured fingers. His velocity started to improve in July, and by September, he was healthy enough to pitch in an off-season instructional league in Arizona. Beginning September 29, John made five appearances with the team, throwing as many as seven innings by his final one.
1976–1978: The comeback
John returned to the Dodgers in 1976, the fourth starter in their rotation after spending all of the previous year on the
disabled list.
On April 16, he made his comeback, against the Braves at
Fulton County Stadium
Fulton may refer to:
People
* Robert Fulton (1765–1815), American engineer and inventor who developed the first commercially successful steam-powered ship
* Fulton (surname)
Given name
* Fulton Allem (born 1957), South African golfer
* Fult ...
. "I was back in my office," John later described the day. "I took a year-and-a-half hiatus to, you know, go abroad and study and learn the dynamics of nuclear fission, or something like that. I did all that, and now I was back at work."
Though he allowed three runs in five innings and took the loss, it was the first time any pitcher had started a game following UCL reconstruction surgery.
Darrell Evans
Darrell Wayne Evans (born May 26, 1947) is a former American baseball player, coach and manager. He played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), beginning his career as a third baseman with the Atlanta Braves (1969–1976, 1989), alternatin ...
of the Braves called the return a "miracle."
Soon, players and writers were referring to John as "The Bionic Man."
Five days after the Atlanta game, in a 1–0 loss to the
Houston Astros, John threw seven scoreless innings. On June 13, he threw his first complete game since the injury, also against the Expos, whom he held to three runs in a 6–3 victory. He threw a four-hit shutout against the Padres on July 23 and a 10-hit shutout against the
Cincinnati Reds on September 14.
John would make 31 starts for the Dodgers in 1976, posting a 10–10 record, a 3.09 ERA, 91 strikeouts, 61 walks, and 207 hits allowed in 207 innings pitched.
In recognition of John's accomplishments, the ''
Sporting News'' awarded him its NL
Comeback Player of the Year Award, and John also won the
Fred Hutchinson Award, presented annually to a player who shows outstanding character and courage.
"I thank God every day for being able to pitch," John told ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' after his comeback. "If I win, thanks for letting me win, if I lose, thanks for letting me lose because that's better than being on the sidelines."
Dissatisfied with his contract entering spring training in 1977, John threatened to file for free agency after the season. However, he ultimately signed a two-year, $400,000 contract to stay with the Dodgers.
Through June 12, he had a 6–4 record and a 4.08 ERA.
Starting June 18, John won 10 consecutive decisions, not losing another ballgame until August 19 against the Cubs. He had a 1.32 ERA during the winning streak, and his ERA from June 18 to the end of the season was 2.19.
He threw a complete game shutout against the Padres on July 16, allowing just four hits in a 1–0 victory. On August 8, he held the defending
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
champion Reds to two hits in a 4–0 complete game shutout victory. He threw a shutout in his next start too, allowing four hits in an 11–0 victory over Atlanta on August 13. John won 20 games for the first time in his career in 1977, his 14th season in Major League Baseball, finishing with a 20–7 record.
He ranked among the NL leaders in wins (third, tied with
Bob Forsch
Robert Herbert Forsch (January 13, 1950 – November 3, 2011) was an American professional baseball player who spent most of his sixteen years in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the St. Louis Cardinals (1974–1988) before finishing his pl ...
,
Rick Reuschel
Rick may refer to:
People
*Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name
*Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality
*Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...
, and
John Candelaria
John Robert Candelaria (born November 6, 1953) is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. Nicknamed "The Candy Man", he played in MLB during the years 1975–1993 for eight teams, the Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels, New York Mets, New Y ...
) and ERA (2.78, fifth). John finished 12th in NL
Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting and was second in voting for the NL
Cy Young Award, bested by
Steve Carlton, who led the NL with 23 wins.
With a 98–64 record, the Dodgers won the
NL West
The National League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed for the 1969 season when the National League expanded to 12 teams by adding the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos. For purpose of keeping a re ...
. For John, who had been injured when the Dodgers won the division in 1974, it was his first chance to pitch in the playoffs.
He started Game 1 of the
NL Championship Series (NLCS) against the Phillies, but only lasted innings. He gave up four unearned runs, the result of two errors by
Bill Russell
William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 – July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played as a center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. A five-time NBA Most Va ...
, the Dodger
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...
.
That was the only Dodger loss of the series, though, and John won the last game of the series four days later, allowing seven hits but one run in rainy weather as the Dodgers beat the Phillies 4–1 in Game 4.
In both of his NLCS starts, John gave up fewer runs than his opponent on the mound, Carlton.
The Dodgers faced the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
in the
1977 World Series
The 1977 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1977 season. The 74th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees and the Natio ...
; John started Game 3 but gave up five runs (four earned) over six innings, including three in the first inning, as the Yankees won 5–3.
Dodger manager
Tommy Lasorda
Thomas Charles Lasorda (September 22, 1927 – January 7, 2021) was an American professional baseball pitcher and manager. He managed the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1976 through 1996. He was inducted into the Natio ...
said John would start Game 7 if the series went that far, but the Yankees clinched it in six games, making Game 3 John's only appearance in the loss.
John won all four of his starts in April 1978, throwing complete games in the last three.
On May 17, he held the
Pittsburgh Pirates to four hits and one run, striking out seven in a complete game, 10–1 victory. In the second game of a doubleheader against the
Houston Astros on July 8, he relieved
Bob Welch in the sixth inning and threw four shutout innings, picking up the victory in Los Angeles's 7–5 triumph. With a 10–6 record and a 3.80 ERA halfway through the season, John was named to the
NL All-Star team, his first selection to an All-Star Team in 10 years and the first of three in a row for him.
In a complete game against Montreal on August 29, he held the Expos to one unearned run in a complete game, 4–1 victory. In 33 games (30 starts), he had a 17–10 record, a 3.30 ERA, 124 strikeouts, 53 walks, and 230 hits allowed in 213 innings. He finished eighth in Cy Young Award voting.
For the second year in a row, the Dodgers won the NL West and faced the Phillies in the
NLCS.
The Game 2 starter, John threw a four-hit shutout as the Dodgers won 4–0. After the Phillies won Game 3, the Dodgers won Game 4 to set up another playoff rematch, this time with the Yankees in the
1978 World Series
The 1978 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1978 season. The 75th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees and the Natio ...
. John started Game 1, giving up five runs (only three of which were earned) in innings but earning the win in Los Angeles's 11–5 victory. In Game 4, he had held the Yankees to two runs (one earned) through seven innings before getting removed in the eighth after giving up a leadoff single to
Paul Blair. Blair went on to score, and John got a no-decision in a 10-inning, 4–3 loss. For the second year in a row, New York won the series in six games.
With his contract up at the end of the season, John became a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
. On November 21, he signed a three-year, $1.4 million contract with the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
. Though the Royals and the Reds had both offered more money, John chose the Yankees because, as he said, "I like to play for a winner."
New York Yankees (First stint: 1979–1982)
John won his first nine decisions as a Yankee, including shutout victories on April 12 and May 20, 1979.
Through July 6, he was leading the AL in wins and had a 13–3 record, as he had five years earlier with the Dodgers, before the surgery. That day, he threw a complete game shutout in a 3–0 victory over the Athletics. He held the Indians to three hits on September 19, getting removed with two outs in the ninth after allowing a single to
Toby Harrah
Colbert Dale (Toby) Harrah (born October 26, 1948) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a shortstop and third baseman in Major League Baseball from to . Harrah played the majority of his career for the Texas Rangers f ...
but still earning the win as the Yankees defeated the Indians 2–0. John finished the year with a 21–9 record, 111 strikeouts (it was the last season he would have more than 100 strikeouts), 65 walks, and 268 hits allowed in innings pitched.
He was second to teammate
Ron Guidry
Ronald Ames Guidry (; born August 28, 1950), nicknamed "Louisiana Lightning" and "Gator", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. Guidry was also the pitch ...
in ERA (2.96; Guidry's was 2.78), and he was second to
Mike Flanagan in wins (Flanagan had 23). John finished 22nd in MVP voting and was the runner-up in Cy Young voting again, this time to Flanagan.
After taking a no-decision in his first start of the 1980 season, John won seven starts in a row, not losing until May 20. From June 30 through July 22, he won five starts in a row, and from August 29 through September 13, he won four starts in a row.
John pitched particularly well against the White Sox, throwing shutouts all three times he faced them, including a two-hit performance on April 16 when he retired 13 hitters in a row at one point. On May 11, he held the Twins to six hits in a 5–0 shutout victory. He allowed just two hits on June 6 in a 3–0 shutout victory over the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...
. On July 22, he held Milwaukee to four hits in the first game of a doubleheader, throwing a shutout as the Yankees defeated the Brewers 3–0. No other AL pitcher would win 20 games in back-to-back years until
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962), nicknamed "Rocket", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Boston Red Sox. Clemens was one of the most dominant pi ...
did it in 1986 and '87. In 36 starts, John won a career-high 22 games while losing nine, recording a 3.43 ERA, 78 strikeouts, 56 walks, and 270 hits allowed in innings pitched.
His six shutouts led the AL, the first time in 13 years he led a league in that category.
He tied with
Mike Norris for second in the AL in wins, behind
Steve Stone's 25. John finished fourth in Cy Young Award voting.
The Yankees won the
AL East
The American League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. MLB consists of an East, Central, and West division for each of its two 15-team leagues, the American League (AL) and National League (NL). This division was created before ...
with a 103–59 record, and John started Game 3, with the Yankees facing elimination by the Royals after losing the first two games. With the Yankees leading 2–1 in the seventh, John retired the first two batters but was replaced by
Rich Gossage
Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage (born July 5, 1951) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1972 and 1994. He pitched for nine different teams, spending his best years with the New York ...
after giving up a double to
Willie Wilson; Gossage gave up a home run to
George Brett
George Howard Brett (born May 15, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player who played all of his 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a third baseman for the Kansas City Royals.
Brett's 3,154 career hits are second-mo ...
a couple batters later, and the Yankees lost 4–2, though John was not credited with a decision.
![Tommy John - New York Yankees - 1981](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Tommy_John_-_New_York_Yankees_-_1981.jpg)
"I'd like to pitch as long as I can effectively do the job," John told ''The New York Times'' during 1981 spring training. "I think I can start another two or three years. I also think I could pitch out of the bullpen for two or three years a la
Steve Hamilton and
Jim Kaat
James Lee Kaat (; born November 7, 1938) is an American former professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left-handed pitcher for the Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins (–), ...
. I think I could do that effectively - as long as somebody would want to pay me to do it. Everybody needs lefthanded pitching, especially in the bullpen." He made his first Opening Day start for the Yankees on April 9, allowing three runs (two earned) in eight innings as the Yankees beat the
Texas Rangers by a score of 10–3. His season was interrupted by the
1981 Major League Baseball strike
The 1981 Major League Baseball strike was the first work stoppage in Major League Baseball since the 1972 Major League Baseball strike that resulted in regular season games being cancelled. Overall, it was the fourth work stoppage since 1972, but ...
and also by an incident that occurred on August 13.
While the John family was at their vacation home on the Jersey shore, John's two-year-old son Travis toppled out a window and fell three stories onto the hood of a parked car. He was in a coma for about two weeks. John was warming up for a game against the Tigers when he found out the news. He went on national television asking people to pray for his son, and he received permission from the Yankees to stay in New York with his son while he recovered, pitching only home games in the immediate aftermath of the accident while staying at the Grand Hyatt Hotel near the N.Y.U. Medical Center.
Hundreds of letters and cards poured in from well-wishers, including people who wrote that they hated the Yankees and
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III (July 4, 1930July 13, 2010) was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees from 1973 until his death in 2010. He was the longest-serving own ...
but were rooting for Travis to pull through. President
Ronald Reagan sent Travis a get-well card, as did former Presidents
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
and
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...
.
Frank Sinatra sent a
telegram
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...
.
Travis ultimately made a full recovery; he threw out the first pitch at a playoff game against the Brewers later that year, and by 1988, he was playing
Little League Baseball with his brothers.
By August 29, John was back to pitching road games for the Yankees.
With a 9–5 record on September 14, he finished the year on a three-game losing streak, though that included a September 25 start against the Orioles where he allowed one run in a complete game, 1–0 loss.
In 20 starts, John had a 9–8 record, 50 strikeouts, 39 walks, and 135 hits allowed in innings pitched. His 2.63 ERA ranked fourth in the AL. Though he had led the AL in shutouts the previous year, he had zero in 1981.
Because of the strike, MLB divided the season into two halves and added an extra playoff round, the
Division Series
The Division Series is the quarterfinal round of the Major League Baseball playoffs. Four series are played in this round, two each for both the American League and the National League.
1981 season
The first use of the term "Division Series" date ...
, in which the first half and second-half winners of the two divisions would play each other. The Yankees had the AL East's best record in the first half and faced the Brewers in the Division Series. With the Yankees up two games to none in the best of five series, John started Game 3 but gave up five runs in seven innings, taking the loss in a 5–3 defeat. The Brewers won Game 4 as well, but the Yankees won Game 5 to clinch the series victory. John allowed just one run against the Athletics in Game 1 of the
ALCS, earning the win, but he was replaced on the mound by
Ron Davis after the sixth inning because his right ankle was bothering him. Though he felt good enough to remain in the game, Yankee manager
Bob Lemon
Robert Granville Lemon (September 22, 1920 – January 11, 2000) was an American right-handed pitcher and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Lemon was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.
Lemon was raised in California ...
did not want to risk further injury: "If something happened, I'd be worried about it all winter," Lemon said. He would not get a chance to pitch again in the series, as New York defeated Oakland in three games. The
1981 World Series
The 1981 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1981 season. The 78th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees and the Nati ...
was the third Dodger-Yankee World Series John had been a part of, though it was his first with New York. He picked up the win in his Game 2 start, retiring the first 12 batters he faced and throwing seven shutout innings in a 3–0 triumph. In Game 4, he was sent in during the seventh inning of a 6–6 tie because the bases were loaded, and John had a propensity for inducing ground balls, which would have likely resulted in an out and possibly a double play. Instead,
Steve Yeager
Stephen Wayne Yeager (born November 24, 1948) is an American former professional baseball catcher. Yeager spent 14 of the 15 seasons of his Major League Baseball career, from 1972 through 1985, with the Los Angeles Dodgers. His last year, 1986, ...
hit a sacrifice fly against him, and
Davey Lopes
David Earle Lopes (; born May 3, 1945) is an American former second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He batted and threw right-handed. He played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, and Houston ...
added an RBI single; the runs did not count on John's record, but the Yankees lost the game 8–7. With the Yankees down to the Dodgers 3 games to 2, John started Game 6. He held the Dodgers to one run over four innings but was pinch-hit for by
Bobby Murcer
Bobby Ray Murcer (May 20, 1946 – July 12, 2008) was an American professional baseball outfielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball between 1965 and 1983. He played the majority of his career for the New York Yankees, whom he later ...
in the fourth. "I was trying to get a run ahead so I could get to the seventh inning and bring
Goose
A goose ( : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera ''Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and '' Branta'' (the black geese). Some other birds, mostly related to the ...
in," explained Lemon.
The Yankees failed to score that inning, and the relievers did not pitch well, enabling the Dodgers to win the game and the series. Will Grimsley of the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
called the decision to pull John "a glaring error."
After the 1981 season, John won the
Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award is given annually to a Major League Baseball (MLB) player who best exhibits the character and integrity of Lou Gehrig, both on the field and off it. The award was created by the Phi Delta Theta fraternity in honor o ...
, presented by
Phi Delta Theta to "the Major League Baseball Player who best exemplifies the spirit and character of Brother Lou Gehrig, both on and off the field." The Yankees and John nearly went to arbitration after 1981 but ultimately agreed to a two-year, $1.7 million contract. "I'm glad to get it over with and get it put to bed," John said after signing. "It's like in a marriage. If you have an argument and patch it up fast, it's okay. But the longer you let it go, the harder it is to reconcile it." Through June 25 of 1982, though his record was just 5–7, he had a 2.95 ERA. From then through July 5, he posted a 6.67 ERA in six games (five starts). John clashed with the Yankees' front office over the move and also over their failure to give him a $200,000 loan that was promised in his contract; in early August, the pitcher threatened to start a breach of contract case that would sever his Yankee contract. He did not stay in the bullpen long, as doubleheaders forced the Yankees to require another starter and John pitched well upon his return to the rotation. However, on August 31, he was traded to the
California Angels for three minor league players who would be named later.
In 30 games (26 starts) for the Yankees, John had posted a 10–10 record, a 3.66 ERA, 54 strikeouts, 34 walks, and 190 hits allowed in innings, throwing two shutouts as well.
California Angels (1982–1985) and Oakland Athletics (1985)
California was interested in John because it was contending for the
AL West
The American League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The division has five teams as of the 2013 season, but had four teams from 1994 to 2012, and had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams cur ...
title.
In his first start with the team on September 3, John held the Brewers to two runs (neither earned) in a complete game, 5–2 victory. John made seven starts, posting a 4–2 record, a 3.86 ERA, 14 strikeouts, five walks, and 49 hits allowed in 35 innings pitched as the Angels clinched the AL West. His combined totals between New York and California were a 14–12 record, a 3.69 ERA, 68 strikeouts, 39 walks, and 239 hits allowed in innings.
John started Game 1 of the
ALCS against the Brewers, allowing three runs in a complete game, 8–3 victory. When Game 4 arrived, instead of starting 13-game winner
Ken Forsch
Kenneth Roth Forsch (born September 8, 1946) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher from to , most prominently as a member of the Houston Astros where he helped the f ...
, manager
Gene Mauch opted to start John on three days rest. John gave up six runs (four earned) over innings as the Brewers defeated the Angels 9–5; the Brewers went on to win the series in five games.
Before the 1983 season, Angel GM
Buzzie Bavasi
Emil Joseph "Buzzie" Bavasi (; December 12, 1914 – May 1, 2008) was an American executive in Major League Baseball who played a major role in the operation of three franchises from the late 1940s through the mid-1980s.
He was best known as the ...
extended John's contract for three years. Assistant GM
Mike Port
Michael D. Port (born July 24, 1945) is an American former professional baseball executive. He was vice president of umpire (baseball), umpiring for Major League Baseball (MLB) from August 2005 through March 2011. He previously served as a front-of ...
disagreed with the decision because he thought John was too old. California's number two starter, John had a 6–2 record and a 3.43 ERA through June 9. Thereafter, he only won five of 16 decisions, and his ERA was 4.84.
Twice, he had extended outings for the Angels. In the second game of a doubleheader against Oakland on July 30, he gave up two runs over 12 innings but took the loss when
Rickey Henderson
Rickey Nelson Henley Henderson (born December 25, 1958) is an American retired professional baseball left fielder who played his 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four separate tenures with hi ...
had an RBI single in the 12th to bring home the go-ahead run. Yet that was not his longest outing of the year; he pitched 13 shutout innings on September 14 against the Royals. California never scored, however, and the Angels lost in the 14th once relief pitchers entered the game. In 34 starts, John had an 11–13 record, a 4.33 ERA (the highest it had ever been in his career), 65 strikeouts, and 49 walks in innings. He led the AL in hits allowed with 287, and 1983 would be the last time he would top 200 innings in a season.
In 1984, John had a 2.48 ERA through June 2 but a 6.13 ERA thereafter.
In the second game of a doubleheader against Boston on July 8, though, he threw a complete-game shutout in a 4–0 victory. He was removed from the rotation at the beginning of September when
Geoff Zahn
Geoffery Clayton Zahn (born December 19, 1945) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched thirteen seasons in Major League Baseball from 1973 to 1985. In his career, he had a Win–loss record of 111–109, an earned run average of 3.74 ...
came off the disabled list, though he returned for two starts later in the month after
Bruce Kison
Bruce Eugene Kison (February 18, 1950 – June 2, 2018) was an American professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1971–79), California Angels (1980–84) and Boston Red Sox (1985). Ki ...
was removed.
In 32 games (29 starts), he had a 7–13 record, a 4.52 ERA, 47 strikeouts, 56 walks, and 223 hits allowed in innings pitched.
Port succeeded Bavasi as the Angel GM in 1985, and no coach worked with John at all during spring training until he finally asked
Frank Reberger
Frank Beall Reberger (born June 7, 1944) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and coach in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants from 1968 to 1972.
Early life and amateur ...
to assist him. That season, John posted a 4.70 ERA in 12 games, only six of which were starts.
In May, the Angels opted to use only four starters for much of the month, and John was the odd man out. The Angels considered trading him for
Dick Ruthven
Richard David Ruthven (born March 27, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from through for the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago Cubs. The two ...
of the Cubs but opted not to because Ruthven was owed $400,000 in a deferred salary. In June, John left the team to be with his mother, who was battling cancer. She died of the disease on June 19. That same day, the Angels released him.
The
Oakland Athletics signed him nearly a month later, on July 12; John made three rehab starts in the minor leagues before debuting with Oakland on the 26th.
He won that game, pitching six innings and allowing one run (unearned) against the Brewers in a 4–3 triumph. Facing the Yankees on August 27, he threw seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits and earning the victory in a 3–0 triumph. Those were his only wins with Oakland, though; he lost his next five decisions and finished with a 2–6 record and a 6.19 ERA in 11 starts. His combined totals for the season were a 4–10 record, a 5.53 ERA, 25 strikeouts, 28 walks, and 117 hits allowed in innings pitched. After the season, he became a free agent.
New York Yankees (Second stint: 1986–1989)
John went unsigned to begin 1986, and it looked like his career might be over. He attended spring training with the Yankees, though, and though he did not make the roster, the Yankees informed him that they would consider him if they needed pitchers later in the year. Injuries to
Ed Whitson and
John Montefusco
John Joseph Montefusco Jr. (born May 25, 1950), nicknamed "The Count," is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played as a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1974 to 1986, most notably as a member of the Sa ...
in May prompted the Yankees to re-sign their former pitcher. Inserted into the rotation, he won his first three decisions for the Yankees before losing a game on June 7.
However, on June 12, he was placed on the 21-day disabled list with a strained left Achilles tendon; the injury kept him out of action until August 8.
On August 24, rookie
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire (born October 1, 1963), nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2001 for the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Card ...
of the Athletics had two hits off him. McGwire's father happened to be John's
dentist, and John told reporters, "When your dentist's kid starts hitting you, it's time to retire!" He went on to pitch three more seasons, however.
Against the Mariners in the first game of a doubleheader on August 30, he took the loss but allowed just one run in eight innings in what would be his last start of the year. On September 4, he fell down while warming up on muddy soil and injured his left thumb while trying to break his fall, ending his season. In 13 games (10 starts), he had a 5–3 record, a 2.93 ERA, 28 strikeouts, 15 walks, and 73 hits allowed in innings pitched.
He also made three starts for the Class A
Fort Lauderdale Yankees
The Fort Lauderdale Yankees, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, were an American Minor League Baseball franchise that existed from 1962 through 1992. The team was a member of the Florida State League (FSL) as an affiliate of the New York Yankees ...
, winning two and not allowing an earned run in innings.
During the 1986 season, John had agreed to become the pitching coach for the
University of North Carolina
The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...
(UNC) later in the year, meaning he would likely retire. However, he resigned from the UNC position on November 21 due to "irreconcilable differences" with head coach
Mike Roberts. In his 1991 autobiography, John stated that the reasons he resigned were that Roberts, after promising John two cars and six season tickets to UNC basketball games for coming to work for UNC, tried to cut the deal back to one car and no tickets. Roberts also used John's name on promotional materials for baseball camps without John's permission. After resigning from UNC, John signed a contract for $350,000, provided he made the team out of spring training. On April 19 and April 26, 1987, he threw seven shutout innings in consecutive starts, only allowing one hit on the 26th in a 14–2 win over Cleveland.
Pitching on three days' rest on August 8, he threw a two-hit shutout against the Tigers, the last he would throw in his career.
On October 2, he gave up just one run in a complete game, 3–1 triumph over Baltimore. In 33 starts, John had a 13–6 record, a 4.03 ERA, 63 strikeouts, 47 walks, and 212 hits allowed in innings pitched.
After
Phil Niekro
Philip Henry Niekro ( ; April 1, 1939 – December 26, 2020), nicknamed "Knucksie", was an American baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball, 20 of them with the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves. Niekro's 318 career victor ...
's retirement, John became the oldest player in the major leagues in 1988; he turned 45 on May 22.
On April 27, he held the Royals to two hits and no runs in innings, though Kansas City ultimately won 3–1. For the first time since 1963 (a year he only made three starts), he did not complete a game; his longest outing came on May 14, when he allowed two runs over innings in a 6–2 victory over the Angels.
On July 27, he set a record by committing three errors on one play against the Brewers. First, he dropped a ground ball hit back to the mound by
Jeffrey Leonard
Jeffrey Leonard (born September 22, 1955) is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1977 to 1990 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, San Francisco Giants, Milwaukee ...
. Picking it up, he threw it about 10 feet wide of first base.
Jim Gantner
James Elmer Gantner (born January 5, 1953) is a former Major League Baseball player who spent his entire career with the Milwaukee Brewers (1976–92).
Background
Gantner grew up in Eden, Wisconsin, and attended Campbellsport High School in nearb ...
tried to score, and John cut off a throw to home, then threw it by the head of the catcher for his third error of the game. However, he would pitch eight innings as the Yankees went on to win 16–3. In 35 games (32 starts), he had a 9–8 record, a 4.49 ERA, 81 strikeouts, 46 walks, and 221 hits allowed in innings.
Bill Madden of the ''
New York Daily News'' speculated that John, a ground-ball pitcher, suffered from late-season injuries to Yankee infielders
Willie Randolph
William Larry Randolph (born July 6, 1954) is an American former professional baseball second baseman, coach, and manager. During an 18-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB), he played from 1975 to 1992 for six different teams, most notabl ...
and
Mike Pagliarulo, their replacements not being quite as capable fielders. Ten times, he left a game after at least five innings with a lead and received a no-decision, often due to runners he had left on base scoring when relievers replaced him. At 45, he was the only Yankee starter to go the full year without missing time due to injury.
By 1989, John was doing a "ten-part cardiovascular and muscular endurance program" which Jeff Mangold, the Yankees' former strength coach, had helped him develop.
At 45, he was the Opening Day starter for the Yankees, his first Opening Day start for the ballclub in eight years, allowing two runs in seven innings and outpitching 1988 AL Cy Young Award winner
Frank Viola
Frank John Viola Jr. (born April 19, 1960) is an American former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins (1982–1989), New York Mets (1989–1991), Boston Red Sox (1992–1994), Cincinnati Reds (1995), and To ...
as the Yankees defeated the Twins 4–2 on April 4. With the start, John matched
Deacon McGuire
James Thomas "Deacon" McGuire (November 18, 1863 – October 31, 1936) was an American professional baseball player, manager and coach whose career spanned the years 1883 to 1915. He played 26 seasons in Major League Baseball, principally as a ca ...
's record for most MLB seasons played with 26, a record that would later be broken by
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr. (born January 31, 1947), nicknamed "the Ryan Express", is an American former professional baseball pitcher and sports executive. Over a record 27-year playing career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanning four decades, Ryan ...
. On April 27, he held the Royals to two runs over eight-plus innings, picking up his 288th (and final) victory. He lost four games in May, though, allowing five or more runs in each of his outings.
On May 25, he allowed five runs in innings against the Angels, receiving a no-decision in an 8–6 Yankee victory. That game would be his last appearance for the Yankees, who released him at the end of the month.
In 10 starts for New York, John had a 2–7 record, a 5.80 ERA, 18 strikeouts, 22 walks, and 87 hits allowed in innings.
Career statistics
John finished his career with a 288–231 record, a 3.34 ERA, 2,245 strikeouts, 1,259 walks, and 4,783 hits allowed in innings pitched. After pitching for 26 years, he ranked among baseball's all-time leaders in wins (26th), losses (19th), innings pitched (20th), hits allowed (10th), earned runs allowed (1,749, 16th), games started (700, eighth), shutouts (46, 26th),
batters faced In baseball statistics, Batters Faced (BF), also known as Total Batters Faced (TBF) or Batters Facing Pitcher (BFP) is the number of batters who made a plate appearance before the pitcher in a game or in a season.
For a given game, the number of ...
(19,692, 18th), and wild pitches (187, 17th).
He had 188 career
no decision
A no decision (sometimes written no-decision) is one of either of two sports statistics scenarios; one in baseball and softball, and the other in boxing and related combat sports.
Baseball and softball
A starting pitcher who leaves a game with ...
s, an all-time MLB record among starting pitchers (dating back to at least 1908). Of Hall-of-Fame-eligible pitchers since 1900,
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962), nicknamed "Rocket", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Boston Red Sox. Clemens was one of the most dominant pi ...
(whose career is tainted by
steroids allegations) is the only one with more wins than John not to be elected to the Hall of Fame.
Though John was nearing the
300 win club at the end of his career, he had not necessarily intended to pitch long enough to reach the milestone. "You'd like to stay around long enough to win 300, but that's not the ultimate goal for me," he said in 1987. "My kids are getting older, and it's tougher for us to move as much as we used to. I decided that wherever we go, we go as a group. The kids have a lifetime contract with us." After the Yankees released him in 1989, he planned to keep working out and throwing in case another ballclub signed him; none did, however, and the season was his last.
Hall of Fame candidacy
John first appeared on the
Baseball Hall of Fame ballot in 1995. He earned 21.3% of the vote, but 75% is required for induction. Over the next several years, his vote totals rose and fell, but through 2008, he had never received more than 29.6% of the vote.
In 2009, in his 15th and final year of eligibility for election on the main ballot, John received a career-high 31.7% of the vote, but this was still not enough for election. He could still enter the Hall if he were selected by the Modern Era Subcommittee of the
Veterans Committee
The Veterans Committee is the popular name of various committees of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum that elect participants other than recently retired players.
Originally, it referenced the National Baseball Hall of Fame Committee ...
.
John was announced as one of the finalists for the 2020 Modern Baseball Era ballot; however he was not one of the inductees.
In a
Yahoo Sports
Yahoo! Sports is a sports news website launched by Yahoo! on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from STATS, Inc. It employs numerous writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American major sport. B ...
article in 2017, Chris Cwik discussed the pros and cons of John's Hall of Fame case. Pros Cwik mentioned were that his 111
Adjusted ERA+
Adjusted ERA+, often simply abbreviated to ERA+ or ERA plus, is a pitching statistic in baseball. It adjusts a pitcher's earned run average (ERA) according to the pitcher's ballpark (in case the ballpark favors batters or pitchers) and the ERA of ...
was better than that of Sutton or
Early Wynn
Early Wynn Jr. (January 6, 1920 – April 4, 1999), nicknamed "Gus", was an American professional baseball right-handed pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox, dur ...
(both Hall of Famers) and that his surgery has revolutionized the game. Cons were that he never led the league in wins or strikeouts or won a Cy Young Award, and his 288 wins and 3.34 ERA were more "borderline" Hall of Fame credentials. Craig Calcaterra of
NBC Sports also did a pro-con analysis in 2019. On the pro side, Calcaterra noted that he was above average during his long career; on the con side, he too noted that John never led the league in wins or strikeouts, writing "John was simply not dominant in any way — his ERA+ was a not-very-Hall-of-Famer–111 — even if he was pretty darn dependable and even if he ate innings like crazy." Analyzing John's
wins above replacement
Wins Above Replacement or Wins Above Replacement Player, commonly abbreviated to WAR or WARP, is a non-standardized sabermetric baseball statistic developed to sum up "a player's total contributions to his team". A player's WAR value is claimed to ...
value on several statistical sites (ranging from over 60 to 79.1), Brett Ballantini of ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...
'' said in 2020, "This is a guy who, irrespective of any surgery named after him, is a guy whose baseball career alone simply says he's a Hall of Famer." In a 2016 interview, John pointed out that his 164 wins following the surgery were one shy of the amount that Hall of Famer
Sandy Koufax
Sanford Koufax (; born Sanford Braun; December 30, 1935) is an American former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955 to 1966. He has been hailed as one of t ...
had over his entire career.
Impact of Tommy John surgery
John went on to win 164 games after having the surgery, 40 more than before. His successful comeback proved once and for all that baseball players could still be successful after undergoing major surgery.
In 2012, Lindsey Berra of
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
noted that roughly one in seven major league pitchers had undergone Tommy John surgery at some point in their careers. "It's become an accepted side effect of the job," said George Paletta, team physician for the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
.
Doug Miller of MLB.com wrote that "baseball history was altered – some would say saved – forever" when John returned from his recovery, observing that "Today, the tearing of a pitcher's ulnar collateral ligament is no longer a career-ending calamity."
ESPN personality
Dan Patrick and longtime baseball commentator
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan Costas (born March 22, 1952) is an American sportscaster who is known for his long tenure with NBC Sports, from 1980 through 2019. He has received 28 Emmy awards for his work and was the prime-time host of 12 Olympic Games from 19 ...
discussed the impact that Tommy John surgery has had on the game, stating in 2012 that there could be a case for John being awarded the
Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award The Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award is an award presented by the National Baseball Hall of Fame not more than once every three years to honor an individual who enhances baseball's positive image on society, who broadens the game's appeal, an ...
. The initial
Tommy John surgery, John's subsequent return to pitching success, and his relationship with Dr. Jobe was the subject of an ESPN ''
30 for 30 Shorts'' documentary in 2013.
Pitching style
John was a soft throwing
sinkerball pitcher whose technique resulted in batters hitting numerous ground balls which often induced
double plays.
In 1980, Dave Anderson of ''The New York Times'' estimated that his fastball was about 92 miles per hour. "It sinks sharply away from right-handed batters, and it sinks into left-handed batters," he wrote.
Rick Cerone
Richard Aldo Cerone (born May 19, 1954) is an American former professional baseball player, television sports color commentator and minor league baseball team owner. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from to with the Cleveland Ind ...
, who caught John with the Yankees, said of the fastball, "It looks like a real good pitch to hit until about the last 10 feet, then it sinks about two or three inches outside. When the batters try to pull it, they just hit these little grounders."
At the start of his major league career, John threw just a fastball and a curveball. The Indians tried to get him to throw a slider in 1964, but John struggled with it and went back to throwing two pitches later that year.
By 1980, he was throwing the slider. He also threw three different curveballs by then, classifying them by their release point: "Each one breaks differently, down or flat or in between, depending on how you spin it."
In 1972, he added a
screwball
A screwball is a baseball and fastpitch softball pitch that is thrown so as to break in the opposite direction of a slider or curveball. Depending on the pitcher's arm angle, the ball may also have a sinking action. The pitch is sometimes known ...
, which he used as a
changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball.
The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...
to complement his repertoire. His arm lagged behind the rest of his body when he threw pitches, a technique that put extra stress on it, which contributed to his UCL injury in 1974.
John tried to emulate
Whitey Ford
Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford (October 21, 1928 – October 8, 2020), nicknamed "the Chairman of the Board", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played his entire 16-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees ...
's pitching style, and he studied books on pitching by
Christy Mathewson
Christopher Mathewson (August 12, 1880 – October 7, 1925), nicknamed "Big Six", "the Christian Gentleman", "Matty", and "the Gentleman's Hurler", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher, who played 17 seasons with the New York Gia ...
,
Bob Feller, and
Bob Shaw
Robert Shaw (31 December 1931 – 11 February 1996) was a science fiction writer and fan from Northern Ireland, noted for his originality and wit. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1979 and 1980. His short story "Light of Other Days" ...
.
Broadcasting
Between his stints with the Angels and Athletics in 1985, John served as color commentator alongside
Tim McCarver
James Timothy McCarver (born October 16, 1941) is an American former professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from to , most prominently as a member of the St. Louis Cardina ...
for a game between the White Sox and the Athletics on
ABC's ''
Monday Night Baseball
''Monday Night Baseball'' was a live game telecast of Major League Baseball that aired on Monday nights during the regular season.
These games formerly aired weekly on ESPN. The game started at 7 p.m. ET, following ''SportsCenter'', and usually l ...
'' on June 24. Following his career, John did broadcasting for several different teams. From 1994 through 1996, he served as a broadcaster for the Twins. In 1997, John served as the color commentator for the
Charlotte Knights
The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field, which opened in 20 ...
of the
International League, also performing a public relations role for the ballclub.
John returned to New York in 1998 to do commentary on select games during
WPIX
WPIX (channel 11) is a television station in New York City. Owned by Mission Broadcasting, it is operated under a local marketing agreement (LMA) by Nexstar Media Group, making it a ''de facto'' owned-and-operated station and flagship of Th ...
's final year of broadcasting Yankee baseball.
On June 26, 2008, he guest-hosted the ''
Mike and Mike
''Mike & Mike'' (formerly ''Mike and Mike in the Morning'') was an American sports-talk radio show that was hosted by Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic on ESPN networks from 2000–2017. The show aired on ESPN Radio, and was simulcast on televi ...
''
ESPN Radio program.
Coaching
John started his coaching career at
Furman University. During the 2002 season, John joined the Expos' organization, serving as the pitching coach for the
Harrisburg Senators
The Harrisburg Senators are a Minor League Baseball team of the Eastern League, and the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who play their home games at FNB Field on City Island, which opened in 1987 a ...
of the Eastern League before managing the Maryville franchise in the
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fille ...
. In 2003, he was promoted to coach the Triple-A
Edmonton Trappers
The Edmonton Trappers were a minor league baseball team in Edmonton, Alberta. They were a part of the Triple-A level in the Pacific Coast League, ending with the 2004 season. Their home games were played at Telus Field in downtown Edmonton.
T ...
of the Pacific Coast League. Next year, the Yankees got permission from the Expos to interview John, and New York hired him to be the pitching coach for the
Staten Island Yankees
The Staten Island Yankees were a minor league baseball team located in the New York City borough of Staten Island from 1999 to 2020. Nicknamed the "Baby Bombers", the Yankees were the Class A Short Season affiliate of the New York Yankees and pla ...
.
On December 17, 2006, John was named manager of the
Bridgeport Bluefish
The Bridgeport Bluefish were an American minor league baseball team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The team was a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which was not affiliated with Major League Baseba ...
in the
Atlantic League. The fifth manager in team history, he compiled a 159176 won-lost record in two-and-a-half seasons with Bridgeport. John resigned on July 8, 2009, to pursue a "non-baseball position" with Sportable Scoreboards;
Frank Boulton, the team owner and CEO, publicly thanked John for his contributions.
While still managing the Bluefish, he became the spokesman for Tommy John's Go-Flex, a joint cream for older athletes manufactured by New Vitality.
Personal life
George Vecsey
George Spencer Vecsey (born July 4, 1939) is an American non-fiction author and sports columnist for ''The New York Times.'' Vecsey is best known for his work in sports, but has co-written several autobiographies with non-sports figures. He is also ...
of ''The New York Times'' described John as "a churchgoer, a good-natured family man."
On July 13, 1970, Tommy married the former Sally Simmons. They are the parents of four children: Tamara, Tommy III, Travis, and Taylor.
In 2014, John moved to California with his girlfriend, Cheryl Zeldin, who he was married to as of January 2022.
In 1998, Tamara John married
Patrick Mannelly, who went on to become a
long snapper
In American football, the long snapper (or deep snapper) is a center on special teams whose duty is to snap the football over a longer distance, typically around 15 yards during punts, and 7–8 yards during field goals and extra point att ...
for the
Chicago Bears. The two met at
Duke University.
As a 10-year-old in 1992, Taylor's singing and acting talents landed him a role in ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...
'' on
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
. He also played Little League Baseball, as did his brothers.
On March 9, 2010, Taylor died at the age of 28 as the result of a seizure and heart failure apparently due to an overdose of prescription drugs. "He was the greatest kid in the world, but he would get into these panic spells and deep abysses," John said of Taylor. "He was wired different than the rest of us."
John has started the "Let's Do It" Foundation, dedicated to raising awareness about suicides and preventing them.
John's oldest son, Tommy III, played baseball for the Furman University Paladins. He was a 4-year letterman for the Paladins, leading the team in complete games as a pitcher in 1997 (3 games) and in home runs (9) in 1999, a year in which he was named an All-
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly k ...
player. In 2000, he became one of three players in the history of Furman's varsity baseball team to
hit for the cycle
In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter who hits a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are rare in Major League B ...
, doing so on April 1 against the Appalachian State Mountaineers. After graduating from Furman, he spent two seasons in the independent minor leagues as a pitcher for the Tyler Roughnecks and
Schaumburg Flyers
The Schaumburg Flyers were a professional baseball team based in Schaumburg, Illinois, in the United States. The Flyers were to be charter members of the North American League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, but the team fol ...
. John is a chiropractor and went on to write a book, ''Minimize Injury, Maximize Performance: A Sports Parent's Survival Guide'', which discusses the injury risk associated with young athletes specializing in one specific sport and suggests ways to prevent youth from ever having to undergo major sports-related surgery, such as Tommy John surgery.
John's hometown of Terre Haute, Indiana, presented him a key to the city on September 1, 1989, and Indiana governor
Evan Bayh
Birch Evans Bayh III ( ; born December 26, 1955) is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and Democratic Party politician who served as a United States senator from Indiana from 1999 to 2011 and the 46th governor of Indiana from 1989 to 1997.
Bayh ...
presented him with the
Sagamore of the Wabash
The Sagamore of the Wabash is an honorary award created by the U.S. state of Indiana during the term of Governor Ralph F. Gates, who served from 1945 to 1949. A tri-state meeting was to be held in Louisville with officials from Indiana, Ohio ...
, Indiana's highest honor.
On October 24, 2013, the Terre Haute Parks Department honored John by renaming Spencer Field after him. The complex was the site of John's last non-professional game in 1961, when he was a member of the
Terre Haute Gerstmeyer High School Black Cats.
John eventually overcame his stuttering problem and earned a reputation as one of baseball's most talkative players. "Ask Tommy John what time it is, and he'll tell you how to make a watch," said Lemon.
Following his career, he became a motivational speaker.
He has no relation to the Tommy John Underwear company and considered suing the founder over the use of his name but abandoned the idea after attorneys wanted $250,000 to represent him.
As of 2019, he was no longer watching baseball, considering the game unrecognizable.
He was inducted into the
Baseball Reliquary
The Baseball Reliquary is a nonprofit educational organization "dedicated to fostering an appreciation of American art and culture through the context of baseball history and to exploring the national pastime’s unparalleled creative possibilities ...
's
Shrine of the Eternals in 2018.
["Shrine of the Eternals – Inductees"](_blank)
Baseball Reliquary. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
Bibliography
*''The Tommy John Story'', F.H. Revell Company, 1978. . (With Sally John and Joe Musser, foreword by
Tommy Lasorda
Thomas Charles Lasorda (September 22, 1927 – January 7, 2021) was an American professional baseball pitcher and manager. He managed the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1976 through 1996. He was inducted into the Natio ...
.)
*''The Sally and Tommy John Story: Our Life in Baseball'', Macmillan, 1983. . (With Sally John.)
*''TJ: My Twenty-Six Years in Baseball'', Bantam, 1991. . (With Dan Valenti.)
See also
*
List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
This is a list of Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers with 200 or more career wins. In the sport of baseball, a win is a statistic credited to the pitcher for the winning team who was in the game when his team last took the lead. A starting pitc ...
*
List of Major League Baseball career hit batsmen leaders
In baseball, hit by pitch (HBP) is a situation in which a batter or his clothing or equipment (other than his bat) is struck directly by a pitch from the pitcher; the batter is called a hit batsman (HB). A hit batsman is awarded first base, provi ...
*
List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders
:''This list is for pitchers. For career strikeouts by batters, see List of Major League Baseball career strikeouts by batters leaders
The following list is of the top 100 pitchers in career strikeouts in Major League Baseball. In baseball, a stri ...
Notes
References
External links
Official websiteTommy Johnat SABR (Baseball BioProject)
Tommy JohnThis Day in Baseball Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:John, Tommy
1943 births
Living people
American League All-Stars
Baseball players from Indiana
Bridgeport Bluefish
California Angels players
Charleston Indians players
Chicago White Sox players
Cleveland Indians players
Dubuque Packers players
Fort Lauderdale Yankees players
Jacksonville Suns players
Los Angeles Dodgers players
Madison Muskies players
Major League Baseball broadcasters
Major League Baseball pitchers
Minnesota Twins announcers
Minor League Baseball broadcasters
Minor league baseball managers
Modesto A's players
National League All-Stars
New York Yankees announcers
New York Yankees players
Oakland Athletics players
Portland Beavers players
Sportspeople from Terre Haute, Indiana