Former Angels pitcher, whose namesake surgery touched thousands, dies at 83

The four-time All-Star spent four of his 26 seasons in Anaheim

Tommy John throws out the ceremonial first pitch before a game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium in 2009. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Former Angels pitcher Tommy John, whose 26-year career became unforgettable thanks to a namesake surgical procedure, has died. He was 83.

John was reported to be in hospice care when he sent a farewell message to fans on Aug. 8.

"Thank you to all the fans who supported me and my teammates for 26 years," read the letter, which the New York Yankees shared to their Twitter/X account. "I will never forget you."

On this 78th Old-Timers’ Day, Tommy John shares a message to his fans, former teammates, and the Yankees organization as he battles health issues from his home in Bradenton, Florida. pic.twitter.com/3lKUWHoaw0

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 8, 2026

The Yankees traded John to the California Angels on Aug. 31, 1982, and he remained with the team for another three years until he was released in June 1985.

John went 24-32 with a 4.40 ERA (92 ERA+) in 85 regular season starts with the Angels. He also started two games in the 1982 American League Championship Series, winning Game 1 at home but losing Game 4 in Milwaukee. The Brewers won the series in five games.

According to MLB.com, John had recently undergone treatment related to a recurrence of bladder cancer.

John became arguably the most famous patient in the history of baseball injuries when he ruptured the medial collateral ligament in his left elbow due to overuse. After two months of rest, he elected to have surgery. Dodgers team physician Frank Jobe replaced the fraying ligament on Sept. 25, 1974.

“When I went to repair [the ligament],” Dr. Jobe told Sports Illustrated in 1978, “because of the long years of wear, there was nothing left to repair. I had to look elsewhere for a substitute.”

Jobe replaced John’s MCL with a ligament in John’s right wrist. It was the first time the procedure had been applied to a pitcher, or an elbow. Today, "Tommy John surgery" is a common remedy for an uncomfortably common injury.

John missed the 1975 season recuperating from the surgery. Otherwise, he would have tied Nolan Ryan for the most seasons played in MLB history with 27.

John pitched 760 major league games for the Cleveland Indians (1963-64), Chicago White Sox (1965-71), Dodgers (1972-78), New York Yankees (1979-82, 1986-89), California Angels (1982-85) and Oakland A’s (1985). He retired with a 288-231 record and 3.34 ERA (111 ERA+).

The Angels portion of John's career was neither the longest, nor the most memorable. But he remains one of only 18 pitchers in franchise history to win a postseason game. Only eight pitchers have started more postseason games for the Angels than John (two).