Baseball legend Tommy John has sent a farewell statement to the New York Yankees and their fans as he battles serious health problems. John, 83, is famous for being the first player to undergo the elbow surgery now named after him, a procedure that has since helped countless pitchers save their careers.
The four-time All-Star played for the Yankees for eight years across two spells, from 1979 to 1982 and 1986 to 1989. He appeared in 214 games for New York, winning 91.
John and other Yankees legends were honored during the team's Old-Timers' Day on Saturday before the game against the Atlanta Braves, but he was unable to attend the ceremony in person. He has battled bladder cancer and other issues in recent years, though it is not known whether those are connected to his current condition.
The Yankees said John was at his home in Bradenton, Florida, where, according to Reuters, he was in hospice care. The team released a statement from him on social media in which he told fans he will never forget them.
John's message to fans
John thanked the Yankees organization and the Steinbrenner family for the chance to say goodbye to everyone, along with all the friends and fans who followed him through his 26-year career. He thanked all the fans who supported him and his teammates for 26 years, saying he would never forget them.
John recalled that on the day he left for his first job as a pitcher, his father told him: "Good luck, Tommy. Just remember one thing: whether you make it big in the big leagues or you don't, you'll always just be Tommy John from Terre Haute, Indiana." John said he had never forgotten those words, adding, "Thank you & God Bless."
The surgery that saved his career
John had already been an All-Star with the Chicago White Sox and was playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers when he injured his ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow in 1974. At the time, many considered it a career-ending injury, but Dodgers team doctor Frank Jobe performed a procedure on him and he went on to pitch for another 14 years.
John thanked Dr. Jobe for saving his arm and making it possible for him to keep pitching, adding that the surgery has since saved the careers of countless pitchers, including many of the best in the game today.
Tribute from a former teammate
John's former Yankees teammate Ron Guidry paid tribute to him during the ceremony. Guidry said John had almost 300 wins on top of everything else he did, and that it was great having him on the team because he was so knowledgeable. Guidry said the two were pretty much 1-2 on the pitching staff and having John around gave him great comfort, adding that John could talk and would answer any question, and that he did so much for the game.
