John Showed Dodgers He Still Had Sales Pitch

Like all major league baseball clubs, the Dodgers have had their share of personnel gaffes.

This is a club that traded Pedro Martinez.

And on this date 21 years ago, the Dodgers pondered the career of left-handed pitcher Tommy John.

At the time, John had won 171 games, 87 for the Dodgers.

But he was 35, and the Dodgers wondered how long his luck would run with his history-making reconstructed left elbow.

In 1974, John was 13-3 in his third Dodger season when he tore an elbow ligament.

Dr. Frank Jobe sewed in a new one, from John’s right forearm. It was medical history’s first ligament transplant.

John never had much a fastball after the surgery. In fact, he didn’t even have a medium fastball, but he could throw curveballs and put them over the plate.

In jest, he liked saying: “I asked Dr. Jobe to give me Sandy Koufax’s arm but I got Mrs. Koufax’s by mistake.”

He sat out all of 1975, then came back in 1976 with a 10-10 record and 3.09 earned-run average, and was 20-7 in 1977.

He was 17-10 in 1978, but the Dodgers wouldn’t re-sign him when his contract expired. Plenty of others were willing to, however. In that year’s free-agent draft, 21 years ago today, he was claimed by 13 teams.

He signed with the Yankees and gave them 21-9 and 22-9 seasons his first two years in New York.

To the Dodgers’ chagrin, John pitched 11 seasons after leaving L.A. and won 135 more games before he retired at age 46 in 1989.

Also on this date: In 1965, Koufax won, by unanimous vote, the Cy Young Award for the second time. . . . In 1996, Kobe Bryant, at 18 years and 2 months, became the youngest-ever NBA player. . . . In 1978, Yankee pitcher Ron Guidry, after a 25-3 season on a $38,000 salary, announced he was seeking $600,000 for four years. . . . In 1934, Bay Meadows Race Track in San Mateo opened, the first track in California after legislation legalizing parimutuel wagering.