Former LA Dodgers pitcher Tommy John donates piece of MLB history to Smithsonian

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Major League Baseball’s living legend, Tommy John, is donating a rare item of the LA Dodger’s history to to the National Museum of American History.

Tommy John, who played in the MLB for twenty-six seasons, now finds himself living in Sarasota with his wife Cheryl. It was during his recent move from California to Sarasota that he rediscovered a piece of his history, a cast signed by the 1974 LA Dodgers team.

It was in 1974 when the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher tore his ligament while pitching in a game against the Montreal Expos. Such an injury at that time could have ended John’s career had it not been for renowned sports orthopedic surgeon Dr. Frank Jobe. The first ever ulnar collateral ligament surgery was performed on John’s arm at Centinela Hospital in Los Angeles.

After fully healing from the surgery John returned to pitch for another 13 years. The cast John wore was signed by John, Jobe and many L.A. Dodgers players and donated to the Smithsonian June 3.

It will become part of the entertainment and sports history collections at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Today, more than 500 Major League Baseball players have had the surgery and continue their careers. In John’s case, he returned to pitching about one-and-a-half years later and continued for another 13 years, winning 164 games of his 288 total wins after the surgery.

Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) replacement surgery, commonly known as Tommy John surgery, is performed when the UCL on the inner side of the elbow is torn and can no longer stabilize the elbow. The reconstructive surgery done by Jobe involved removing a tendon from another part of the body and attaching it to the bone so it would act as a new ligament. The injury is common among pitchers because of the motion required to pitch and the number of times a player repeats that motion.

The surgery is done today for the same reasons it was first done in 1974: to stabilize the elbow, eliminate pain and restore stability and range of motion. Recovery takes nine months to a year and sometimes longer for professional athletes.

John played for several teams during his 26-year career, including the New York Yankees, California Angels and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He and his wife Cheryl donated the cast to the National Museum of American History. There are currently no plans to display the cast.

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