Tommy John,
pitcher, throws L, born 5-22-1943. Played for the
Cleveland Indians,
Chicago White Sox,
Los Angeles Dodgers,
New York Yankees,
California Angels, and
Oakland A's from 1963 to 1989.
Tommy John's chief claim to fame is that he had Tommy John surgery named after him by being the first pitcher to successfully recover from a torn elbow ligament and pitch professionally again. Lost in this is the fact that he was an above-average pitcher with exceptional longevity and solid, if unspectacular, credentials for the Hall of Fame. John lost the 1975 season to his surgery. He was named to the All-Star team both as a power pitcher (in 1968, when his arm was still sound) and as a finesse pitcher (from 1978 to 1980). John did suffer a dramatic reduction in his strikeout rate after his surgery, but he improved his control to compensate, and he maintained an average level of performance for the remaining 14 years of his career.