Tommy John Dies; Five Pitchers Who Overcame Surgery

Tommy John, the pitcher whose name became synonymous with a revolutionary UCL reconstruction, died Sunday at 77. Fifty‑two years after Dr. Frank Jobe performed the procedure, the surgery has become a routine lifeline, turning what was once career‑ending into a path to elite performance. sport-newz.biz

Notable survivors include Jacob deGrom, the first pitcher to win back‑to‑back Cy Young Awards after surgery; Justin Verlander, who captured a Cy Young and a World Series title in 2022; and Tarik Skubal, who earned consecutive Cy Young Awards in 2024 and 2025. These athletes exemplify the lasting impact of Tommy John surgery on modern baseball.