Frank Jobe
From BR Bullpen
Dr. Frank W. Jobe (b. 1925)
Dr. Frank Jobe is an American orthopedic surgeon. Since 1964, he has been a consultant to the Los Angeles Dodgers medical staff. He is most famous for his 1974 surgery on pitcher Tommy John, the eponymous Tommy John surgery.
John had torn ligaments in his elbow after a decade of pitching at the major league level. Jobe decided to take a ligament from the pitcher's right wrist to replace the ligament in John's left, throwing, arm. After eighteen months of recovery, John returned to pitch effectively for another 14 years. The surgery was definitely a success.
Over the past 30 years, many pitchers have had "Tommy John Surgery" pioneered by Jobe. Recovery takes a full calendar year but careers are no longer ended because of catastrophic elbow injuries.
Jobe is the orthopedic consultant for the PGA and Champions golf tours, the Dodgers and Angels, as well as the NBA Lakers and the NHL Kings. Even though he is 80, he still performs surgery in Southern California.
