Tommy John of the Los Angeles Dodgers getting looking over by the Dodgers physician Dr. Frank Jobe in 1974. This season marks the 50th anniversary of Tommy John’s surgery which took place in 1974. It was know as Tommy John surgery due it’s huge success for pitcher to return from shoulder or arm tears (photo by the Los Angeles Dodgers)
50 years since the First Tommy John surgery
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
Tommy John pitched for 26 years from 1963 to 1985, including with the Oakland A’s in 1985. His name has been mentioned thousands of times since he had the first ever surgery with his name in 1974. This season marks the half-century anniversary of the once controversial surgery, now, like going to the dentist for a root canal type of surgery.
I was at the press conference at the Oakland Coliseum when the A’s introduced Tommy John, who was wearing an athletics jersey. 1985 was a damaging season for the A’s, winning only 77 games, but there was a rookie by the name of José Canseco making his debut, he was the only hope for the A’s at that time.
José won Rookie of the Year the following season, Monday, August 12. At Oracle Park, the first game of a series between the Atlanta Braves and the San Francisco Giants, two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell pitched for the Giants, and this year’s #1 candidate for the Cy Young in the National League, Chris Sale, pitched for the Braves.
Blake went 6 1/3 and struck out 11, and Sale completed seven innings and struck out 12. Braves won 1-0 in ten innings. Even though it is rare to see this type of pitching, it is considered by many a “pitcher’s duel”. But pitcher duels belonged to pitchers that went the distance, which is (9) nine innings. In 1999, while broadcasting SF Giants radio en Español at Candlestick Park, the great Juan Marichal dropped into our booth as a visitor and sat to talk about pitching.
I remember asking him, Juan, “What would you have said to your manager or pitching coach if he told you, “Juan, give me six good innings.” Juan smiled and responded, “I would have laughed at his face.” What do you mean by six good innings?
Juan Marichal pitched for 16 years and completed 244 games, winning 243 of those and ‘for good measure’ the Dominican Dandy tjhrew 52 shutouts. Tommy John pitched a total of 4,710 1/3 innings won 288 games lost 231 with a 3.34 ERA.
Joe Roegele, who tracks Tommy John surgeries as an injury analyst for MLB, says the surgery has increased by 29 percent by pitchers who throw at the highest level since 2016. In 2023, 35% of all MLB pitchers have had the surgery.
Roegele added, “I don’t want to say it’s inevitable, but when you throw it overhand, it’s an unnatural motion. (About this surgery) Tommy John Surgery, more formally known as ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction, is used to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament inside the elbow.
A UCL is a ligament on the inner side of your elbow that helps secure your elbow joint. Some people, typically athletes who play throwing sports, may experience UCL tears. For the last time in history the San Francisco Giants will face the Oakland A’s this Saturday and Sunday at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum for two. afternoon games. KIQI 1010AM/990 covering the Bay Area and Sacramento will have all the live action.
Amaury Pi Gonzalez does the live play by play with Manolo Hernandez Douen on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
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