Tommy John, the veteran left-handed pitcher whose career was notably extended after he became the first professional athlete to undergo a revolutionary elbow surgery, died on Monday at age 83. He had been receiving hospice care at his home in Bradenton, Florida.

John pitched for 26 seasons in Major League Baseball, accumulating 288 career victories. Significantly, 164 of those wins came after his elbow was surgically repaired in 1974 by Dr. Frank Jobe, the team physician for the Los Angeles Dodgers. This procedure, now commonly known as Tommy John surgery, has since become a staple for pitchers seeking to continue their careers after tearing their ulnar collateral ligament.

Born on May 22, 1943, in Terre Haute, Indiana, John signed as an amateur free agent with Cleveland shortly after graduating high school. He made his MLB debut with the Indians in 1963 at age 20. He was later traded to the Chicago White Sox, where he earned an All-Star selection in 1968.

His standout performance with the Dodgers led to him being acquired in December 1971. It was during the 1974 season with the Dodgers that John suffered the elbow injury. In a game against the Montreal Expos on July 17, 1974, he felt a sensation described as his arm separating from his body. He managed to throw one more pitch before being removed from the game.

Dr. Jobe's groundbreaking surgery in September 1974 involved replacing John's torn ligament with a tendon from his right forearm. While other similar procedures had been performed on wrists and hands, it was the first of its kind for an elbow in a pitcher.

John missed the entire 1975 season but returned to the Dodgers in 1976. His comeback was successful, and he finished second in the National League Cy Young voting in 1977. He pitched three games in the 1977 and 1978 World Series against the Yankees.

He then signed with the New York Yankees as a free agent before the 1979 season. In his first two years with the Yankees, he won over 20 games each season and finished second and fourth in the American League Cy Young voting in 1979 and 1980, respectively. Ron Guidry, a former teammate, recalled John as a knowledgeable player who provided comfort and guidance to the pitching staff.

John was traded to the California Angels in August 1982 and later played for the Oakland Athletics before returning to the Yankees in 1986. He finished his career with the Yankees, making his final start in May 1989 at age 46. At that point, he was the oldest player in the sport and had tied the record for most seasons pitched with 26.

Throughout his career, John started 700 games, ranking eighth all-time in MLB history, and pitched 4,710 1/3 innings, which ranks 19th all-time.

Despite his longevity and success, John was never elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. His career also saw personal tragedies, including the survival of his young son Travis after a fall from a third-story window and the later death of his son Taylor by suicide in 2010, after which John became involved with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

John's post-playing career included broadcasting for the Yankees and Minnesota Twins, as well as managing in the minor leagues. He had also been diagnosed with bladder cancer.