Former Major League pitcher Tommy John will be Gina Logue’s guest on the next edition of “MTSU on the Record” at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 26, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
This interview originally was scheduled to air Monday, March 19, but was pre-empted for pre-game coverage of the MTSU men’s basketball team’s 71-64 victory over the University of Tennessee in the National Invitational Tournament.
John, who saved his career and revolutionized his sport by undergoing a groundbreaking operation on his pitching arm, will be the luncheon speaker at MTSU’s 2012 Baseball in Literature and Culture Conference Friday, March 30.
In a three-hour operation in September 1974, Dodgers team surgeon Dr. Frank Jobe replaced the ligament in John’s left elbow with one taken from a tendon in the pitcher’s right wrist. The surgery had been performed previously on wrists and hands, but never on an elbow.
John posted 288 wins, 164 of them post-surgery, in a 26-season career with six different franchises, placing him seventh all-time among Major League southpaws. However, he is best known for what is now called “Tommy John surgery,” a procedure that has extended literally hundreds of athletes’ careers.
To listen to previous programs, go to www.mtsunews.com and click on “listen” under “Audio Clips.” For more information about “MTSU on the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.