How Tommy John became namesake of surgery that saved careers of many pitchers

Most surgeons didn't know how to repair the elbow tear until Dr. Frank Jobe took a radical approach. On Sept. 25, 1974, in a cutting-edge surgery, he grafted a healthy tendon from John's right forearm and drilled holes in the bones of his left elbow, using anchors to stabilize the ligament. John, who was lacking sensation in his fingers and hands, underwent a second operation to repair damage to the ulnar nerve in his left arm. 

Jobe, who died at 88 in 2014, remained skeptical. He gave John 1-in-100 odds of playing again. The pitcher accepted that risk.

"I told [Jobe], 'You're a great doctor, and I believe in you. But you're wrong. I will come back,'" John said, via MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "You did an excellent job in my arm. Now, it's up to me. I know how much pain my body can stand — and it's quite a bit. I know how hard I can work, and if it takes 18 hours a day, I'll do it. I will come back." 

John subsequently spent the 1975 season rehabbing. When he returned in 1976, it was as if he had never suffered the injury. The pitcher posted a solid 3.09 ERA, had 91 strikeouts in 207 innings pitched and had a 10-10 starting record. 

The following season, he was even better, finishing second in National League Cy Young voting behind former Philadelphia Phillies star Steve Carlton. He posted a 2.78 ERA in 220.1 innings pitched, going 20-7 as a starter.

John, nicknamed "The Bionic Man" after the surgery, finished his career with four All-Star Game trips and the 26th-most wins (288) in MLB history. His lasting legacy will be as a medical trailblazer. 

Tommy John surgery has since become a routine operation that has saved the careers of countless pitchers. Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole, for example, underwent it in March 2025. Entering Sunday, he had recorded a 3.22 ERA in 86.2 innings pitched. Dodgers pitchers Shohei Ohtani and Tarik Skubal have also undergone the surgery.

"Thanks to Dr. Jobe, who saved my arm & made it possible for me to continue pitching," John said in a message on the Yankees' 78th Old-Timers Day on Aug. 8. "That surgery has gone to save the careers of countless pitchers, including many of the very best in today's game." 

Many of these stars owe John and Jobe a thank you. Without their pioneering work in medicine, their careers would've been much shorter and much less successful.