Baseball legend Tommy John dies at 83 after battle with bladder cancer

Tommy John, a 26-year MLB veteran, died at age 83 in hospice care at his home in Lakewood Ranch, with family at his side. His representative, Mike Maguire, announced the news and noted that John had sent a thank-you letter to supporters via the New York Yankees. The former pitcher had been battling bladder cancer.

After an elbow injury that once seemed career-ending, he underwent a groundbreaking ligament replacement performed by Dr. Frank Jobe, allowing him to return to the mound and pitch for another 13 seasons. Over his tenure he logged a 288-231 record, a 3.34 ERA, and 162 complete games, 91 of them post-surgery. John earned four All-Star selections and played for teams including the Cleveland Guardians, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, and Oakland Athletics.