Tommy John, Namesake of Baseball's Ligament-Replacement Surgery, Dies at 83

Tommy John, the pitcher whose name became synonymous with the ligament-replacement elbow surgery that transformed baseball, died August 16, 2026, at his Florida home at age 83. He had been in hospice care after a recurrence of bladder cancer. Dr. Frank Jobe performed the pioneering 1974 operation, replacing John's torn ulnar collateral ligament with a forearm tendon. John pitched 14 more seasons.