Tommy John
From BR Bullpen
Thomas Edward John Jr.
- Bats Right, Throws Left
- Height 6' 3", Weight 185 lb.
- Debut September 6, 1963
- Final Game May 25, 1989
- Born May 22, 1943 in Terre Haute, IN USA
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[edit] Biographical Information
Although pitcher Tommy John won 288 major league games and may well end up in the Hall of Fame, he is perhaps most famous because he missed the 1975 season due to the ligament replacement surgery that now bears his name, Tommy John surgery. That surgery, which he pioneered, has saved the career of countless pitchers after him.
In Hall of Fame voting in 2008, he received 29.1% of the vote, with 75% needed.
It's hard to believe that his career lasted 26 years. He broke in as a 20-year-old rookie on the 1963 Cleveland Indians, when 43-year-old Early Wynn was still pitching. Sudden Sam McDowell was also a 20-year-old pitcher on the team that year. It was the year that Pete Rose was a rookie. Many years later, in 1989, 46-year-old Tommy John was still pitching, in the year when Ken Griffey and Juan Gonzalez were both rookies. The Yankees manager for the last part of 1989, Bucky Dent, was nine years younger than John.
In 1974, his career seemingly over, John became the first athlete to get ulnar collateral ligament reconstructive surgery. This is the elbow ligament that can be damaged by repeated throwing, and the surgery replaces it with a ligament taken from another part of the body.
He was 31 years old when injured and sat out the entire 1975 season. But John came back to get 164 of his 288 wins after the surgery and pitched to the age of 46.
The procedure today is commonly called Tommy John surgery. Revolutionary at the time, the operation today is almost routine.
A ground-ball pitcher, John perhaps threw more double play pitches than anyone in the history of the game.
Six of the ten most similar pitchers to John (according to the similarity scores method), are in the Hall of Fame, and three of the others may eventually get in. The most similar is Jim Kaat, who won 283 games.
He was twice second in the Cy Young Award voting, and was second once in the league in ERA. He was twice 2nd in the league in wins, and led the league in win/loss percentage in 1974. He appeared in 3 World Series, with an ERA of 2.67.
After his playing career ended, John was a Minnesota Twins broadcaster for several years, then became a minor league pitching coach for the Harrisburg Senators in 2002 and the Edmonton Trappers in 2003. John managed the Staten Island Yankees in 2004. He was inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.
In a July 27, 1988 game, he made three errors during the course of one play. This might have been the only time that happened in a big league game. With the Brewers' Jim Gantner on first base and one out, Jeffrey Leonard grounded to John. He bobbled the ball, then threw it into right field. The relay from the outfield came to him, and he again bobbled the ball then threw it past the catcher. Both Leonard and Gantner scored during the play. The New York Yankees still won 16-3.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 4-time All-Star (1968 & 1978-1980)
- 1976 NL Comeback Player of the Year Award
- NL Winning Percentage Leader (1974)
- 3-time AL Shutouts Leader (1966, 1967 & 1980)
- 15 Wins Seasons: 5 (1973 & 1977-1980)
- 20 Wins Seasons: 3 (1977, 1979 & 1980)
- 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 12 (1966, 1969-1971, 1973, 1976-1980, 1982 & 1983)
[edit] Year-By-Year Minor League Managerial Record
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Staten Island Yankees | New York-Penn League | 28-44 | 13th | New York Yankees | |
| 2007 | Bridgeport Bluefish | Atlantic League | 55-69 | 7th | Independent Leagues | |
| 2008 | Bridgeport Bluefish | Atlantic League | Independent Leagues |
