The scar on his elbow is more famous than most professional athletes.
It’s a thin white line that stretches six or seven inches across the inside of his left arm.
That arm — and scar — belongs to Tommy John.
John is best known for the surgery that shelves big-league pitchers up to a year and a half. It’s called Tommy John surgery; you may have heard of it.
The 64
-year-old former big leaguer spends these days managing the independent Atlantic League’s Bridgeport Bluefish. It’s an enjoyable gig for a man who thinks he should be in the Hall of Fame.
This isn’t about his famous injury, his 288 career wins (6th among left-handers all-time) or the 2245 strikeouts in 26 seasons that are most likely keeping him from being enshrined. This about Yankees Stadium.
John joined the Yankees in 1979. He signed as a free agent and was the ace of a rotation consisting of Ron Guidry, Luis Taint and Catfish Hunter. He won more than half of the 37 games he appeared in and tossed 17 complete games. John was 36.
The southpaw spent eight years in New York. He was a two-time Yankees All-Star, pitched in three games of their 1981 World Series loss to the Dodgers and came oh-so-close to winning a Cy Young.
It’s a resume unlike many pitchers who’ve been honored to done pinstripes.
On May 25, 1989, John pitched his final game at Yankee stadium. It was also the final game of his career.
“My last game, the people gave me a standing ovation,” John told me Tuesday, sitting inside the visiting manager’s office at Riverfront Stadium in Newark. “I thought that was really good because I hadn’t pitched that well, but they know I was at the end of my rope.”
As he walked down the dugout steps, the crowd got louder.
“I had to go back out for a curtain call. It was very nice, very nice,” John said, a smile plastered on his face.
Eighteen years later, Yankee Stadium is at the end of its rope. John agree it’s time for a new one.
“It was needed when they rehabbed it in the ’70s and the Yankees were playing at Shea Stadium,” John said. “It’s time for something new. Time marches on.”
John said he may go back to the Stadium for one final time. If he does, it will be for Old-Timers’ Day.
“Maybe Sparky (Lyle) and I will hire a car and have it drive us in. We’ll make our appearance, kind of do the Joe D. wave, and come back and manage.”
That last wave, with his left arm. The one with the famous scar.
(John Photo: Mike Ashmore)