Tommy John, MLB pitcher and namesake of revolutionary elbow surgery, dies at 83 | CNN

Tommy John, the former MLB pitcher whose name became synonymous with a groundbreaking elbow operation, died Saturday at 83, the New York Yankees said. John underwent Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction surgery in 1974, a procedure that grafts a tendon—taken from places such as the forearm, hamstring, hip or knee—into the elbow to replace the medial ligament using a figure-eight weave. He missed the entire 1975 season, then returned to pitch through 1989. After surgery, he made 382 of his 700 career starts. John finished 26 seasons with a 288-231 record and a 3.34 ERA, including 162 complete games and 46 shutouts.