Last night at the Dodger game they honored Dr. Frank Jobe for his years of service to the team, he was the doctor who performed the first ever Tommy John surgery on, of course, Tommy John. Jobe was at the game with his wife, John was there and also Orel Hershiser, who didn't exactly have TJ surgery but was scarfing down some Dodger dogs and sitting with the Jobes. Vin Scully pointed out that John had won 124 games at the time of the surgery, and how Jobe himself at the time thought the surgery went well but had no idea how it would turn out. Scully recalled seeing John running the outfield in spring training one day after the operation and thinking "the poor guy, his career is over", then John came back to win 164 more games, total of 288. Scully also mentioned that John's most heartbreaking moment was not related to the surgery but being pulled for a pinch hitter by Yankee manager Bob Lemon in the 4th inning Game 6 of the 1981 World Series vs the Dodgers. Discuss your favorite pitcher to ever have Tommy John surgery and/or how it has affected the game overall by giving new life to pitchers whose careers would otherwise be over.
