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Tommy John misses Yankees event, bids farewell in post​

Tommy John, the namesake for the elbow surgery many top MLB players have undergone, did not attend the New York Yankees' Old-Timers' Day on Saturday as he shared a vague message about his health.

In a lengthy social media post released by the Yankees that did not detail an exact health issue, the 83-year-old John wrote that he wanted to say goodbye to everyone, along with all the friends and fans who followed him throughout his 26-year career, saying "I will never forget you."



John has battled bladder cancer and other ailments in recent years, though it was unclear if any of them were related to his current health problems. The Yankees said he was at his home in Bradenton, Florida.

John underwent elbow ligament replacement surgery in 1974 that was named after him and has been performed on numerous pitchers. He went on to pitch for 14 more years after the surgery.

"Thanks to Dr. Jobe, who saved my arm & made it possible for me to continue pitching," John said. "That surgery has since gone on to save the careers of countless pitchers, including many of the very best in the game today."

John was 288-231 with a 3.34 ERA in 760 career appearances. Besides eight seasons with the Yankees, for whom he won 91 games over two separate stints, John pitched for the White Sox, Dodgers, Angels, Guardians and Athletics.

Just sayin': I think you could make a good case to enshrine Dr. Frank Jobe in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Google AI: Tommy John is not in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Despite winning 288 games over 26 seasons and pioneering the famous elbow ligament replacement surgery named after him, he fell short on the writers' ballots and subsequent Era Committee votes.

The Hall of Fame Case
    • 288 Career Wins: Ranks second-most for any pitcher post-1900 not enshrined in Cooperstown.
    • Post-Surgery Success: Won 164 of his games after his pioneering 1974 surgery, proving the procedure's viability.
    • Longevity: Pitched 26 seasons, making four All-Star appearances and totaling 61.6 bWAR.
    • Voting History: Maxed out his 15 years on the BBWAA ballot in 2009 (peaking at 31.7%) and later missed election through the Veterans/Modern Baseball committees.
 
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