Tommy John surgery was initially a last resort for career-ending arm injuries but has become commonplace in MLB, with teams relying on it for up to 40 pitchers annually. Tommy John, the first pitcher to undergo the surgery, emphasized that baseball success is rooted in strategy instead of solely throwing hard. After injuring his ligament, he felt profound loss rather than pain, yet he managed to continue his career for another 15 years. Advances in medical technology now enable doctors to diagnose and treat elbow injuries more effectively, changing the narrative surrounding pitcher health in baseball.
Tommy John surgery has evolved from a last resort to a common procedure, with MLB teams accepting the inevitability of multiple surgeries for pitchers each season.
Tommy John demonstrated that success in baseball is not solely about velocity but about consistently getting hitters out with various strategies.
John's experience after surgery illustrates the profound emotional loss athletes face when their primary tool for success, their arm, suffers severe injury.
Modern advancements allow physicians like Keith Meister to diagnose and treat elbow injuries more effectively, shedding light on the changing landscape of pitcher health.
Collection
[
|
...
]