Tommy John Is Asked to Retire : Yankees Fail in Effort to Trade Left-Hander, 46

The New York Yankees’ attempts to allow pitcher Tommy John to bow out gracefully failed Monday when the club was unable to trade him.

The Yankees intend to release John today unless he retires. Jimmy Jones will be recalled from triple-A Columbus and make his Yankee debut tonight in place of the previously scheduled John, 46.

However the decision is reached, it doesn’t alter the fact an era might have ended at Yankee Stadium Monday, the longest of any pitcher in major league history.

John, who began his career with the Cleveland Indians in 1963, departed Yankee Stadium through a rear exit shortly after the Yankees’ 6-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners. John was unavailable for comment Monday night.

It had been speculated for days that John’s time with the Yankees was ending. Manager Dallas Green had declined to name his starter for tonight, even though it was John’s turn in the rotation. It was thought senior vice president Syd Thrift was on the verge of trading for a pitcher when in fact his correspondence with other clubs was intended to find John another place to pursue his goal of 300 victories.

John is the only player this century to play 26 major league seasons.

After two seasons with Cleveland, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1965. The White Sox traded him to the Dodgers for Richie Allen in 1971.

His best season with the Dodgers was 1977 when he was 20-7.

He was 17-10 in 1978 and after the season he signed with the Yankees as a free agent. He was 21-9 his first season with the Yankees and 22-9 the next.

During the 1982 season, the Yankees traded John to the Angels for a player to be named later, who was pitcher Dennis Rasmussen.

John stayed with the Angels until June, 1985, when they released him. He was then signed as a free agent by the Oakland A’s organization and assigned to Modesto.

Granted free agency after the 1985 season, John was again signed by the Yankees.

Now he is 12 victories shy of 300 victories.

“He really wants that 300th win, but we feel it’s really going to be tough for him to get it,” Green said.

Green originally didn’t want John in training camp, but made an about-face this spring. John’s efforts in exhibition games not only won him a spot on the staff but also the opening-night starting assignment.

“I have a lot of respect for Tommy,” Green said. “No one may believe this, but I care about people, particularly baseball people, and this guy gave his heart and soul to baseball. We should pay our respects to a man like that.”

Green felt homage was due John but not continued employment by the Yankees. John, a left-hander, beat the Twins in the Yankees’ opener April 4 but lost seven of his next eight decisions. John pitched into the seventh inning in each of his first seven starts but failed to get past the sixth in his last three.

“Performance,” Green said pointedly when queried why the decision on John was made. “You can read his record as well as I can.”

John allowed 87 hits and 22 walks in 63 innings and had a 5.80 ERA. Opponents batted .336 with a .392 on-base average against John. Much has been made of the Yankees having scored 31 runs in John’s 10 starts, a 3.1-per-game average; they have averaged 4.03 runs in other games.

“We didn’t get him many runs,” first baseman Don Mattingly said. “He can still pitch. He has good movement on the ball.”

Said Green: “He’s no dummy. He saw the handwriting on the wall.”