Tommy John bids farewell amid health battle

Tommy John, 83, sent an emotional goodbye to the New York Yankees during Old-Timers’ Day while facing serious health issues, including bladder cancer and hospice care in Florida. In a letter shared by the team, he thanked the Yankees and the Steinbrenner family and credited Dr. Frank Jobe for the elbow surgery that saved countless careers. The message highlighted his 26-year MLB career, eight of which were with the Yankees, and his landmark 1974 ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction that gave rise to what is now known as Tommy John surgery. He missed the 1975 season after the procedure but returned in 1976 and went on to pitch for 13 more seasons, finishing with a 288-231 record and a 3.34 ERA. Several reports note he did not attend the on-field ceremony but issued the goodbye letter from home, with Nightengale later reporting he is in hospice care in Florida. His enduring legacy remains the widespread impact of the surgery he helped popularize, which transformed how pitchers extend careers.