Overview
- His agent, Mike Maguire, and the New York Yankees confirmed he died Saturday, August 15, at his home in Lakewood Ranch/Bradenton, Florida, surrounded by family.
- No official cause of death has been released, and reports say he had been receiving palliative care after recent treatment for a recurrence of bladder cancer.
- John pitched 26 major-league seasons from 1963 to 1989, finished with 288 wins and 700 starts, and missed the 1975 season before returning to MLB in 1976.
- The 1974 operation by Dodgers physician Frank Jobe replaced John’s torn ulnar collateral ligament with a tendon graft, and John’s disciplined recovery proved the procedure could restore pitchers to the major-league level.
- MLB and former teams issued statements mourning his death and noting that the procedure now called 'Tommy John surgery' has become a staple of sports medicine, typically requiring 12–18 months of rehab and enabling roughly 80% of pitchers to return to play.