Free Republic

MLB legend Tommy John has died at the age of 83 surrounded by his family. The news comes just days after the baseball icon penned an emotional goodbye letter as he went into hospice care in Florida.

Old-Timers’ Day in The Bronx took on an unexpected somber tone when Tommy John released a statement through the Yankees in which he said “goodbye to everyone” as he battles health issues. “I want to thank the Yankees organization [and] the Steinbrenner family for giving me this opportunity to say goodbye to everyone, along with all the friends [and] fans who followed me throughout my 26-year career.” The former Yankee — best known for being the first to undergo the elbow surgery that now bears his name — was remembered fondly by his former teammates Saturday at the Stadium. “He...

Former MLB pitcher Tommy John has contracted COVID-19, but is minimizing the threat of the virus from a hospital bed in California. The 77-year-old left-hander who played 26 seasons for six teams, including the Yankees, told The Daily Beast Tuesday he had no symptoms of the deadly bug despite being on oxygen at a hospital near his home in Indio, California. “I’d leave right now if they’d let me walk out,” John said. But John — who went on to pitch for 14 seasons after having elbow ligament replacement surgery in 1974 — accused a reporter of “making a mountain...

Dr. Frank Jobe, a pioneering orthopedic surgeon who was the first to perform an elbow procedure that became known as Tommy John surgery and saved the careers of countless major league pitchers, died Thursday. He was 88.