The New York Yankees released a farewell letter from Tommy John on Saturday, giving the 83-year-old pitcher a public chance to say goodbye while he has been dealing with health issues. In the letter, John thanked the Yankees organization and the Steinbrenner family for the opportunity to address friends and fans who followed him through a 26-year career.
The message lands with extra force because John’s name is built into baseball history. In 1974, he became the first pitcher to undergo an innovative elbow operation performed by Dr. Frank Jobe, a procedure that later took on his name and is now known everywhere as Tommy John surgery, or TJ. The surgery did more than save a career. It extended his time on the mound for years, and he went on to start 700 games before retiring at 46.
John’s note was released while he was at home in Bradenton, Florida, and the Yankees did not spell out what health problems he is facing. That gap matters. Fans can read the tribute, but they do not yet know how serious his condition is or whether a further update is coming. The timing also connects the letter to the 78th Old-Timers’ Day, a setting John had been part of before, even as this one was marked by absence rather than an appearance on the field.
For a man who later worked in broadcasting and coached at the collegiate and minor-league levels, the farewell has the feel of a final inning. Bucky Dent visited him last week after learning of his poor health and said he spent a couple of hours just talking baseball. John’s words carried the same plainspoken tone that defined his career: he thanked the Yankees, the Steinbrenner family and the people who followed him, then closed with the line his father gave him years ago in Terre Haute, Indiana — good luck, and never forget who you are. On Saturday, that was the part of the story that stayed with readers longest.
