LOS ANGELES – Frank Jobe, a pioneer in the field of sports medicine who was the first to perform an elbow surgery that resurrected the careers of countless major league pitchers, has died. He was 88.
He died Thursday in Santa Monica after being hospitalized recently with an undisclosed illness, according to a spokesman for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Jobe performed groundbreaking elbow surgery in 1974 on pitcher Tommy John, who had a ruptured medial collateral ligament in his left elbow. The injury previously had no solution until Jobe removed a tendon from John's forearm and repaired his elbow. John went on to pitch 14 years after the operation on Sept. 25, 1974, compiling 164 more victories without ever missing a start because of an elbow problem.
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