Tommy John, Baseball Pioneer Whose Surgery Changed The Game, Dies At 83

Tommy John, 83, has died — the longtime big‑league lefty and fan favorite who won 288 games over a 26‑year career and was especially beloved in New York.
He was the first pitcher to undergo the UCL reconstructive procedure that became known as "Tommy John surgery," a breakthrough that revived his career and has since helped thousands of players.
Remarkably, he returned to pitch until age 46, winning 164 games after the operation — a legacy of longevity that keeps coming up in baseball conversations.