Tommy John pens goodbye to Yankees for Old-Timers’ Day during health fight

[Halldan]

Tommy John pens goodbye to Yankees for Old-Timers’ Day during health fight

Tommy John, the longtime pitcher known for the elbow surgery named after him, has penned his goodbye to the Yankees while in a health battle.

nypost.com

 

[Seton75]

My belated thanks to the NYY mgr for taking TJ out of that 81 WS game.

 

[cernjSHU]

One of the real injustices is that Tommy John is not in the Hall of Fame. 288 wins with three 20 win seasons. Jim Kaat is in and Tommy John is not does not make any sense to me. I loved to watch him pitch. Ground ball outs, move the ball around the plate. He was a great pitcher. He and Jimmy Key were two of my favorite Yankee oiticjers based on style.

 

[NYShoreGuy]

One of the real injustices is that Tommy John is not in the Hall of Fame. 288 wins with three 20 win seasons. Jim Kaat is in and Tommy John is not does not make any sense to me. I loved to watch him pitch. Ground ball outs, move the ball around the plate. He was a great pitcher. He and Jimmy Key were two of my favorite Yankee oiticjers based on style.

The writers of his generation viewed him as a compiler. His first great season was age 31.
He has been on 5 vet committee ballots and has never gotten 1 vote. His highest bbwaa percentage total was 31.7 in his last year of eligibility in the old system.
He finished 2nd for cy young twice. Led AL in shutouts 3 times.

 

[Hall1996]

One of the real injustices is that Tommy John is not in the Hall of Fame. 288 wins with three 20 win seasons. Jim Kaat is in and Tommy John is not does not make any sense to me. I loved to watch him pitch. Ground ball outs, move the ball around the plate. He was a great pitcher. He and Jimmy Key were two of my favorite Yankee oiticjers based on style.

Not a HOF in my opinion. 288 wins is impressive, especially when comparing to modern day pitchers. Was good pitcher, but not great. Pitched a lot of years, so numbers add up.

But good point on Kaat, John stats pretty similar.

 

[NYShoreGuy]

MLB Legend Tommy John Dead at 83 https://www.tmz.com/2026/08/16/tommy-john-dead/

 

[Halldan]

Tommy John, Yankees great who had surgery named after him, dead at 83​

Tommy John, Yankees great who had surgery named after him, dead at 83

His major league career was extended after he became the first player to undergo the elbow surgery that now carries his name.

nypost.com

 

[Seton75]

Read an article on TJ on MLB a minute ago. Never knew this, per Jobe, he didnt invent this surgery, said it had been used on polio victims many times before he worked on Tommy John.

Tommy John, whose surgery blazed a trail for countless players, dies at 83

Tommy John, a reliable stalwart of big league rotations who won 288 games over three decades while seeing his name become synonymous with a medical procedure that has saved the careers of countless other pitchers, has died. He was 83. A four-time All-Star left-hander with the second-most wins of any

www.mlb.com

 

[cernjSHU]

Not a HOF in my opinion. 288 wins is impressive, especially when comparing to modern day pitchers. Was good pitcher, but not great. Pitched a lot of years, so numbers add up.

But good point on Kaat, John stats pretty similar.

Who was a better pitcher Tommy John or Don Sutton? Give me Tommy John any day. So Sutton is in the HOF and TJ is not because he didn’t get 12 more wins for the magic number.

 

[HallLine69]

One of the real injustices is that Tommy John is not in the Hall of Fame. 288 wins with three 20 win seasons. Jim Kaat is in and Tommy John is not does not make any sense to me. I loved to watch him pitch. Ground ball outs, move the ball around the plate. He was a great pitcher. He and Jimmy Key were two of my favorite Yankee oiticjers based on style.

The only other pitcher with more wins who is not in the Hall of Fame is Roger Clemens. That to me is instant rationale for putting Tommy John in Cooperstown. Rest in Peace.

 

[NYShoreGuy]

Who was a better pitcher Tommy John or Don Sutton? Give me Tommy John any day. So Sutton is in the HOF and TJ is not because he didn’t get 12 more wins for the magic number.

Don Sutton has better metrics and peak seasons strung together...5 cy young top 5 finishes

Hall of Fame Statistics
Black Ink
Pitching - 8 (401st), Average HOFer ≈ 40
Gray Ink
Pitching - 243 (29th), Average HOFer ≈ 185
Hall of Fame Monitor
Pitching - 149 (47th), Likely HOFer ≈ 100
Hall of Fame Standards
Pitching - 58 (20th), Average HOFer ≈ 50
JAWS
Starting Pitcher (60th):
66.7 career WAR | 33.9 7yr-peak WAR | 50.3 JAWS | 49.8 S-JAWS | 3.0 WAR/162
Average HOF P (out of 67):
73.0 career WAR | 49.8 7yr-peak WAR | 61.4 JAWS | 56.8 S-JAWS | 4.5 WAR/162

 

[Seton75]

Who was a better pitcher Tommy John or Don Sutton? Give me Tommy John any day. So Sutton is in the HOF and TJ is not because he didn’t get 12 more wins for the magic number.

I take TJ. Never liked sutton or neikro to hof

 

[NYShoreGuy]

I take TJ. Never liked sutton or neikro to hof

Niekro and Sutton got in during the weakest ballots in the writers' era...has a run of years where it was Schmidt solo, no one, niekro, sutton then a gem glass ryan yount brett then fisk, perez then Winfield, puckett

 

[NYShoreGuy]

 

[Fishjam]

Who was a better pitcher Tommy John or Don Sutton? Give me Tommy John any day. So Sutton is in the HOF and TJ is not because he didn’t get 12 more wins for the magic number.

Sutton and TJ have very similar career numbers. As you said the difference is the magic 300 which is a stat that has been devalued in the 21st century. If Sutton is in, TJ should be also.

I don't agree with many HOF decisions. They put too much emphasis on counting stats over ratios, and longevity over players who were greats for several years but did not tack on #s late in career.

I'm a NYY fan but I'd put Pettite in the Hall over both (don't care about his HGH confession). Very similar career stats and was a postseason dog with 5 WS rings.

I also think Mattingly should be in. Arguably the top player in the game for 5 years in his prime before injuries.

 

[Seton75]

AGREE ON MATTINGLY!!!. He was as good as anyone for his best yrs. He gets my Koufax vote.

 

[NYShoreGuy]

Sutton and TJ have very similar career numbers. As you said the difference is the magic 300 which is a stat that has been devalued in the 21st century. If Sutton is in, TJ should be also.

I don't agree with many HOF decisions. They put too much emphasis on counting stats over ratios, and longevity over players who were greats for several years but did not tack on #s late in career.

I'm a NYY fan but I'd put Pettite in the Hall over both (don't care about his HGH confession). Very similar career stats and was a postseason dog with 5 WS rings.

I also think Mattingly should be in. Arguably the top player in the game for 5 years in his prime before injuries.

Short peak is no good. Need 10 years of dominance at the position. Is keith Hernandez a hof player? Batting title and mvp with 11 straight gold gloves. Players before 2010 were judged on hard stats meat and potatoes. Now you are judged on advanced metrics and value.

 

[lloyde dobler]

I’m not one, so I don’t care, but who do Yankee fans think deserves it more: Mattingly or Munson?

 

[NYShoreGuy]

Thurman was on the writers ballot for 15 seasons got the most votes the first year he was on. He also has 4 veterans committees appearances in which he has received 12 total votes.

Thurman is like sean Taylor both dominated a position in a sport where they were deemed a hard nosed player and both tragically had life cut short

 

[Seton75]

Short peak is no good. Need 10 years of dominance at the position. Is keith Hernandez a hof player? Batting title and mvp with 11 straight gold gloves. Players before 2010 were judged on hard stats meat and potatoes. Now you are judged on advanced metrics and value.

Koufax had 6 yrs of dominance.

I love Keith, but imo, Don was greater in his best yrs due to his power. Both were terrific 1st baseman, but I give Keith the edge in the field. Don's power numbers are way better and his BA was great too. Am surprised Keith only had 100 or more ribeye steaks once, never as a Met. Both had great fundies... Don had 6 yrs in a row as a 300 hitter with 100 rbis or more in 5 of them.

Pretty sure I was at Dons first game at yankee stadium. He played in the outfield.

 

[NYShoreGuy]

Koufax had 6 yrs of dominance.

I love Keith, but imo, Don was greater in his best yrs due to his power. Both were terrific 1st baseman, but I give Keith the edge in the field. Don's power numbers are way better and his BA was great too. Am surprised Keith only had 100 or more ribeye steaks once, never as a Met. Both had great fundies... Don had 6 yrs in a row as a 300 hitter with 100 rbis or more in 5 of them.

Pretty sure I was at Dons first game at yankee stadium. He played in the outfield.

He went 27-9 in 1966 with no normal feeling in his arm. He was a unicorn.

 

[NIL BAD]

As a Yankee fan I’d take Munson over Mattingly. WS championships matter.

 

[Halldan]

Mattingly was the better player. He was one of the very best players in the majors until he got hurt.

Don Mattingly Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com

Check out the latest Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More of Don Mattingly. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, bats, throws, school and more on Baseball-reference.com

www.baseball-reference.com

 

[SHUSource]

Pretty sure I was at Dons first game at yankee stadium. He played in the outfield.

And wore No. 46.

 

[cernjSHU]

I’m not one, so I don’t care, but who do Yankee fans think deserves it more: Mattingly or Munson?

Mattingly was dominant player during his peak years. Perhaps the best in the game. Munson was never considered that. I love Munson but look at Mattingly’s numbers. They are sick.

 

[cernjSHU]

Don Sutton has better metrics and peak seasons strung together...5 cy young top 5 finishes

Hall of Fame Statistics
Black Ink
Pitching - 8 (401st), Average HOFer ≈ 40
Gray Ink
Pitching - 243 (29th), Average HOFer ≈ 185
Hall of Fame Monitor
Pitching - 149 (47th), Likely HOFer ≈ 100
Hall of Fame Standards
Pitching - 58 (20th), Average HOFer ≈ 50
JAWS
Starting Pitcher (60th):
66.7 career WAR | 33.9 7yr-peak WAR | 50.3 JAWS | 49.8 S-JAWS | 3.0 WAR/162
Average HOF P (out of 67):
73.0 career WAR | 49.8 7yr-peak WAR | 61.4 JAWS | 56.8 S-JAWS | 4.5 WAR/162

Don’t know about these stats but I did watch both players pitch. In my eyes and I think in the eyes of any neutral observer, thought TJ was the better pitcher.

 

[Seton75]

Don’t know about these stats but I did watch both players pitch. In my eyes and I think in the eyes of any neutral observer, thought TJ was the better pitcher.

I am a rabid Dodger fan. I would not have voted for Sutton Terrific pitcher over a long time and made me laugh when he mocked Garvey a bit. (FYI, Steve Garcey is not my father.)

 

[Fishjam]

I’m not one, so I don’t care, but who do Yankee fans think deserves it more: Mattingly or Munson?

I'm biased, they were my 2 favorite players as a kid although I was too young to totally appreciate Munson. I say they both deserve it.

Munson did it at the harder position and won 2 Rings.

Mattingly was the more dominant hitter. Over 6 years his average was .327 - 27 HRs - 114 RBI - 43 2bs - 98 runs. Career 9 Gold Gloves, .307 career BA, 1,100 RBIs

 

[Halldan]

As you noted he was also a great defensive first basemen with the 9 Gold Gloves. Just a fabulous all around player.