Saturday, March 29, 2014

 

Baseball autographs, for example, Mariano Rivera's-NY Times, Kepner

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3/28/14, "In an Era of Squiggles, You Can’t Tell the Players Without a Handwriting Analyst," NY Times, Tyler Kepner

"The walls of the steakhouse at Yankee Stadium are decorated with signatures of past Yankee greats. David Robertson, the team’s young closer, marvels at the fact that he can read the names.

“All the old-time autographs are really neat,” Robertson said. “It’s a lost art.”

Robertson, 28, is the heir to the retired Mariano Rivera, who leaves behind a legacy of brilliance in the bullpen and precision with a pen. Rivera may have spent more time on his signature than any of his peers, meticulously crafting his M’s and R’s and all the lowercase letters that followed.

Few modern players take similar care. In the last generation or so, the classic script of Babe Ruth, Harmon Killebrew and Rivera has largely deteriorated into a mess of squiggles and personal branding.

It is not just baseball, of course. The legible signature, once an indelible mark of personal identity, is increasingly rare in modern life. From President Obama, who sometimes uses an autopen, to patrons at a restaurant, few take the time to carefully sign their names.

Baseball fans still clamor for autographs — as keepsakes, commodities or both. But today’s treasures have little of the elegance of those that came before. A recognizable signature, let alone an artful one, now seems as quaint as a Sunday doubleheader.

“Fans say, ‘Can you put your number on there?' ” said Javier Lopez, a reliever for the San Francisco Giants. “Because there’s no chance they can read them.”

Curtis Granderson, a veteran Mets outfielder, said he used to write his name neatly. But as a young player, he often found himself with hundreds of items to sign at a time — for memorabilia companies, for his team, for fans.

For a person with a 10-letter last name, it was overwhelming.

“As you’re sitting there signing, your thought process is, ‘How do I get out of here as quick as possible?' ” Granderson said. “That’s how things start to shorten and shorten and shorten. And that translates to, ‘Hey, I’m down by the bullpen signing, I need to get to the dugout, I’ve got five minutes — how can I get through as fast as I can and still make everybody happy?’”

Granderson added: “A lot of people just want the fact that you signed it. They really don’t care how it looks.”

If they do care, fans of Carlos Gonzalez, Cliff Lee, Tim Lincecum and other prime offenders will be disappointed. Toronto’s R. A. Dickey, a former Cy Young Award winner, said he had a neat version he might use in a private setting. But at the ballpark, he said, he makes two discernible letters and moves down the line.

Washington reliever Drew Storen, 26, said he could rarely read the autographs he collected growing up. Now his signature looks more like a butterfly than a name.

“I put my number on it, usually, but I think of it as a design,” Storen said. “I challenge people to try to do it, to see if they can, but it’s just autopilot for me, like, ‘Boom.’ It looks cool. It’s like your own little logo, because most of the time you’re signing a card, so they know who it’s supposed to be.”
Some players, like Brett Gardner, Manny Machado and Mike Trout, offer little more than initials. Even Jackie Bradley Jr., a Boston prospect who usually writes out each letter, can lapse into the habit. He once signed for Scott Mortimer, a fan and avid collector from Merrimack, N.H., with a simple “JBJ.”

Mortimer, 43, said he was not very choosy; he just enjoys the pursuit and the experience. But he also has a signature on nearly every card in the 1983 Fleer set and can say with authority that times have changed.

“You can make out the names of everyone,” he said, referring to the players from 1983. “Bob Forsch had a great signature. Even Pete Vuckovich, he’s notoriously grumpy about autographs, but you can read his signature. Ozzie Smith signed nicely. Rollie Fingers’s is like artwork. Don Sutton always signs big. Carl Yastrzemski’s got that cool, looping Y. You can almost go through the entire Hall of Fame, and they all had nice signatures.”

Kate Gladstone, a handwriting instructor from Albany and the director of the World Handwriting Contest, said Ruth had a model signature. Ruth attended St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, a Baltimore orphanage and boarding school where a scribbled name, Gladstone guessed, would not have been tolerated.

Whatever players’ upbringing, signatures mostly stayed legible for decades. Even after Depression-era budget cuts de-emphasized handwriting in schools, Gladstone said, people born in the 1940s, ‘50s and early ‘60s tended to be taught by well-trained instructors.

Today’s players, many born in the 1980s, were not. Children learned print and cursive then, as now, but handwriting was generally less of a priority in curriculums.

“In the ‘80s, we started to have people basically say, ‘Oh, handwriting’s not important, because in five or 10 years everything in the world will be computerized,' ” Gladstone said. “But I don’t think we’re yet at the stage of typing our names onto baseballs.”

Players with clean signatures often cite an instructor or relative as their inspiration. For Robertson, it was his grandmother, Martha Robertson, who implored him to sign his full name, instead of “DRob,” when he reached the major leagues in 2008. For Andre Dawson, a Hall of Fame outfielder who played from 1976 to 1996, it was his aunt and first-grade teacher, Alice Daniels, who kept him after school to practice on a chalkboard.

“I thought it was punishment,” said Dawson, whose graceful script starts in a loop and ends in a tail, with stylized D’s in between. “But from that point, I always took pride in it. I get compliments about my penmanship, and I never took it for granted.”

Killebrew, a Hall of Famer who played from 1954 to 1975, mostly for the Minnesota Twins, was considered the dean of the dignified autograph. After he died in 2011, the Twins honored him by recreating his signature across the right-field wall at Target Field.

When young Twins players signed baseballs, Killebrew watched closely, said Tom Kelly, a former manager of the team. If their penmanship did not meet his standards, he corrected them until it did.

“I had a swerve like everybody else — a T and a line, a dot dot, an H and a line, and something like a t,” said Torii Hunter, a veteran outfielder who now plays for Detroit.

But, he added, Killebrew told him a story.

“Think about this: 150 years from now, you’re dead and gone, and kids are playing in a field,” Hunter recalled Killebrew saying. “A kid hits a home run, hits the ball in the weeds — far. They’re looking for the ball, they find it, and it says, ‘T, line, dot dot, H.’ They don’t know who it is. They’re like, ‘Oh, we found another ball to play with,’ because they can’t read it.

“But just rewind that. A kid hits a ball, hits it in the weeds, they’re looking for it, they pick it up and they can read it. It says, ‘T-o-r-i-i H-u-n-t-e-r.’ And they’re like, ‘Wow.’ So they go and look it up and they see this guy was a pretty good player, and they put it on the mantel and cherish it.”

Killebrew said, “You didn’t play this long for somebody to destroy your name,” Hunter recalled.
In a sea of puzzling loops and lines, it is no coincidence that former Twins like Hunter, Michael Cuddyer, LaTroy Hawkins and Johan Santana now have some of the smoothest signatures in baseball.

Pat Neshek, a former Twin who now pitches for St. Louis, collects autographs and tries to make his special, like Tug McGraw, the former reliever who drew a smiley face next to his name. Inside the loop of his P, Neshek sketches the seams of a baseball.

When he played for Oakland, Neshek said, he admonished teammates to write legibly, the way the old players did. Sometimes they even complied.

You’ve got to tell some guys, ‘Hey, your autograph stinks; give me your good one,' ” Neshek said. “And then you’ll have the only good one they ever did.”" images from NY Times

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Friday, March 21, 2014

 

Rivera is the greatest relief pitcher in history-Greg Jayne, 6/2/12

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6/2/12, "By the Numbers: Rivera's No. 1, but is he best among all the positions? Greg Jayne: By the Numbers," the Columbian, Vancouver, Washington

"Let's get this out of the way: Mariano Rivera is the best closer in the history of baseball.

There. Said it. Captain Obvious has spoken.

Certainly, the role of the closer has evolved, particularly in the past 35 years. The best relief pitcher in the 1930s, for example, probably was Lefty Grove — who also happened to be the best starter.

And while the nature of relief pitching has changed over the decades,

Rivera has defined the position.

Now that the Yankees' paragon is out for the season and possibly for good, a question arises: Who is the most obvious pick for the best player in history at their particular position? Which player, more than any other, has no equal at his position?

We'll start with Wins Above Replacement, as calculated by baseball-reference.com. Here are the top two players at each position in terms of career WAR:


C — Johnny Bench 72.3
C — Gary Carter 66.4
1B — Lou Gehrig 108.5
1B — Jimmie Foxx 93.5
2B — Rogers Hornsby 124.6
2B — Eddie Collins 118.5
3B — Mike Schmidt 103.0
3B — Eddie Mathews 91.9
SS — Honus Wagner 126.1
SS — Alex Rodriguez 111.1
LF — Barry Bonds 158.0
LF — Stan Musial 123.4
CF — Willie Mays 150.8
CF — Ty Cobb 145.0
RF — Babe Ruth 178.3
RF — Hank Aaron 137.3
SP — Cy Young 160.8
SP — Walter Johnson 157.8
RP — Mariano Rivera 52.8
RP — Hoyt Wilhelm 44.4

WAR isn't the end of the discussion. Hornsby, for example, was one of the greatest hitters in history, but I wouldn't rank him as the best second baseman. I'd rather have Collins or Joe Morgan or Jackie Robinson on my team than Hornsby.

Ted Williams might have been the greatest left fielder, but he missed nearly five seasons while in the military, and that keeps down his WAR total. And I might rather have Stan Musial than either Bonds or Williams.

But if we're looking solely at Wins Above Replacement, the most dominant player at his position is Babe Ruth. His WAR of 178.3 is 29.9 percent more than the No. 2 player at his position, Hank Aaron. Bonds has a 28.3 percent advantage over Musial, and Rivera is 18.9 percent ahead of Wilhelm.

Dennis Eckersley had a WAR of 58.4, but most of that came during his years as a starting pitcher.

Any statistical method that ranks Babe Ruth No. 1 has some validity. The only way to conclude that he was not the best player in history is if you discount him because he played before the major leagues were integrated.

But it's equally clear that Rivera is the greatest relief pitcher the game has seen. His 608 saves are the all-time record; his ERA is 2.21; his ERA+ (which normalizes a pitcher's ERA for the league average and his home park) is 206, meaning his ERA was less than half the league average during his career.

That 206 ERA+ is easily the best in history, including starting pitchers. Pedro Martinez is second with a mark of 154.

All of that leaves no doubt about who is the greatest relief pitcher in history."

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Comment: This article appears to be about regular season only. Rivera's 141 postseason innings equate to an additional 2 years of relief pitching @ 70IP/yr. These 141 innings, against the toughest competition, under the brightest lights, were sandwiched into his regular season calendar years. When others were resting up to pad their next season regular season stats. 


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'He is even better, almost unthinkably better, in the postseason, against the best lineups,' Miller

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6/27/12, "The Lineup Card," Baseball Prospectus, Sam Miller

"It truly is hard to imagine how Mariano Rivera, who signed for $3,000, could become the greatest closer ever. It's even harder to figure out how he does it with, basically, one pitch. It's harder still to see
Mariano Rivera demands explanation, and for 16 years nobody has really been able to explain Mariano Rivera, physically or metaphysically."... —Sam Miller"

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Monday, March 17, 2014

 

Roberto Duran throws ceremonial first pitch in Panama for second Yankee-Marlin exhibition game

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 3/16/14, "Boxing legend Roberto Duran, middle, threw out the first pitch with Mariano Rivera by his side," ap



3/16/14, "Boxing legend Duran recalls 'Mr. October'," ESPN Deportes, Panama City

"The Panamanian, who is recognized by experts as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the history of boxing after crowning himself in four different weight classes, was a special guest of Mariano Rivera to throw out the first pitch at Sunday's game.

"I'm very happy to see Mariano and I feel proud that the Yankees and Marlins have come and hopefully more games will keep coming because there are a lot of Panamanians that can't travel to the United States and it's a great opportunity," Duran pointed out. "I'm even more happy with the Panamanian people that have demonstrated that they support baseball."

Accompanied to the mound by Rivera, Duran was received with a rousing standing ovation by more than 12,000 people who packed the stands, with Marlins outfielder Giancarlos Stanton serving as the catcher for the pitch.

Duran, who will be inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame, concluded the news conference by expressing his admiration for Rivera as the best closer in the history of the major leagues, guaranteeing his place as an immortal in Cooperstown. But he stressed that there is no doubt who is the most famous athlete in Panama: "That's me!""

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Visiting Puerto Caimito, Rivera's home town

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3/16/14, "Former Yankee Mariano Rivera out to revive thirst for baseball in Panama," Star-Ledger, Jorge Castillo, Puerto Caimito, Panama

"The home is gated, but not hidden. It protrudes from the landscape on the left side of Calle Puerto Caimito when you enter this underdeveloped town of fishermen, the lone road to the shore along the Gulf of Panama, this village’s lifeline. If the outsized dimensions and immaculate architecture is not enough, a Google Maps search reveals the owner: Mariano Rivera.

Like the house, Rivera is not covert when he travels from his adopted home in New Rochelle, N.Y., to occupy this residence in his hometown along the southern coast of Panama. Residents say he walks down the road, past his father and in-laws’ houses and the evangelical church built with his money and the elementary school he attended for six years, and greets his brethren with containers of toys for children.

At the end of the road, where the rocky path meets a shore populated with crumbling boats and seafood vendors and a rundown youth center, once stood a modest dwelling Rivera called home as a child. It no longer exists, knocked down some time in the 24 years since he left for the United States to launch an unlikely career with the New York Yankees that concluded last September.

This week, Rivera, 44, returned to Panama and he brought the Yankees and Marlins with him for the nation’s first major-league games since 1947.

Pride radiated throughout this village Saturday afternoon hours before Rivera tossed the first pitch at Rod Carew Stadium 45 kilometers away. Some planned on attending one of the two games, but most could not afford a ticket and travel. Instead, most were going to watch them on television. Fireworks were expected.

"He’s a figure we treasure," said Sergio Reyes, a local pastor, in Spanish. "Not only because of what he represents as a baseball player, but the values that he projects, what he represents for the children of Panama."

Hoping to Motivate

To everyone in Puerto Caimito, Mariano Rivera was just "Pili," a nickname Rivera’s sister popularized.

"I cry seeing how he has gone from humble beginnings to reach something so high," Sayuri Rivera, a cousin, said. "And not just here, but on a worldwide level."

Flor Deliz Segura was two grades above Rivera at Escuela Victorino Chacón, the local elementary school. She takes pride in pointing out that she and Rivera are now, in a sense, related — she is an aunt of Rivera’s oldest nephew and niece.

The two grew up a few houses away from each other playing on the same street. She recalls Rivera fishing and chasing after iguanas. "He loved iguanas," Segura said.

Now she has a nephew who pitches on the same district team — La Chorrera — Rivera played on before he was signed by Yankees scout Herb Raybourn for $3,000 after a 10-pitch tryout in his backyard. "He really appreciates Mariano and says he wants to be like Mariano Rivera," Segura said.

During his own childhood, professional baseball was not in Rivera’s universe. He was known for constantly running around and throwing everything in sight, his cousin Sayuri Rivera, joked, but sports were never a serious endeavor until he was pulled from the local high school, La Escuela Secundaria Pedro Pablo Sanchez, after his first year to play baseball.

"To be honest, I never looked for it," said Rivera, who caught the first pitch Sunday from retired boxer Roberto Duran, perhaps the only athlete with more clout than Rivera in Panama. "God made it for me. I loved sports, but I never did it intending to sign professionally. God opened the door and took me to this moment. All I can do is thank God for everything he’s done for me."

Part of Rivera’s mission this weekend was to invigorate baseball in this nation of 3.8 million people at the youth level. The country’s presence in the major leagues is dwindling — there are currently four players from Panama on 40-man major-league rosters.

"I hope what this does is motivate the youth because there is a lot of talent here in Panama," Rivera said. "They can be motivated to play sports at the highest level in the major leagues. And prepare themselves and move forward. I know a lot of them have dreams and I think this could motivate them."

Active with church

Mariano Rivera’s presence at Iglesia de Dios de la Profecia is immediately noticeable. In the foyer, on the wall to the right, hangs a plaque and portrait honoring Rivera, presented to him during his visit last month.

It is a sanctuary built on Rivera’s dime. Rivera donated $850,000 to construct the building, which opened "six or seven years ago," Reyes, the church’s pastor, estimates.

Rivera attends and preaches at the church whenever he can, Reyes said, and holds various events. One last month attracted 1,000 people from the town.

Rivera’s presence, residents say, extends beyond the church. He has donated to the local health center and elementary school and regularly meets with friends and family in the community.

One Sunday last month, Rivera invited the men in his family — brothers, uncles and cousins — to his home for breakfast. He preached to them — as he does sometimes to the congregation at Iglesia de Dios de la Profecia.

"He’s treated us the same like always," Segura said. "He’s always been humble."

But critics opine he does not do enough for Panama. Rivera is sometimes described as distant and is chastised for making New York his permanent residence and raising his children there.

He was criticized for not playing for Panama in the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006 and building his lavish home in an impoverished area. Those naysayers have relented a bit recently as Rivera has displayed a greater connection to the country.

"It’s just that people don’t want to understand," Segura said. "They think everything he has should go to the people. But they’re wrong. They’re wrong. He’s helped this town a lot."

The negative opinions were buried this weekend. Saturday night, Rivera threw out the first pitch to the roar of 30,000 people in attendance at Rod Carew Stadium. Thousands more attended yesterday’s game, including 86 children from Puerto Caimito in three buses.

This afternoon, he’ll return to Puerto Caimito, also his wife Clara’s hometown, for the fourth time in four months for an event at 2 p.m. to complete his trip to Panama before returning to New York tomorrow. He is expected to make donations. A village will be waiting.

"For us, he’s wonderful," Reyes said. "Mariano is a figure that has given prestige to Puerto Caimito and Panama. So to have him here on a day like this, and with the Yankees, is something wonderful. It’s something excellent.""


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Saturday, March 15, 2014

 

Enter Sandman and Rivera first pitch in Panama

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3/15/14, Rivera first pitch in Panama










Yankee PR twitter







3/15/14, Enter Sandman in Panama, Bryan Hoch twitter
 










3/15/14, Rivera throws first pitch to David Robertson, Bryan Hoch

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Marlins 4, Yankees 0 in the 8th in Panama

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3/15/14, TVMax-9.com, Panama. MLB gameday



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3/15/14, TVMax-9.com, Rivera coverage

Image above, TVMax-9.com, Rivera





Friday, March 14, 2014

 

Rivera and Yankees visit Panama Canal

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3/14/14, "Mariano Rivera leads Yankees on a tour of the Panama Canal," NY Daily News, Christian Red, Panama City

"Mariano Rivera proved every bit the All Star when it came to hosting and tour guide duties Friday.
Baseball's all-time saves leader and Panama's favorite son (and Sandman) led a tour of his country's most famous landmark – the 100-year-old Panama Canal – when a contingent of his former Yankees teammates and team executives paid a visit to the waterway that connects the Atlantic Ocean (via the Caribbean) to the Pacific Ocean.

Mariano Rivera's dream of having the Bombers play baseball in his native country unfolds this weekend when the club plays the Marlins in a two-game exhibition series at Rod Carew Stadium Saturday and Sunday.

But Friday was all about playing tourists, as Rivera helped escort the late team owner George Steinbrenner’s daughter, Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal, team president Randy Levine, COO Lonn Trost, manager Joe Girardi, Brett Gardner, David Robertson, hitting coach Kevin Long, bench coach Tony Pena and spring training instructor (and former Mets skipper and Yankee player) Willie Randolph around the Miraflores Locks site. Rivera was accompanied by his wife, Clara.

The retired closer posed for photos and signed baseballs for fans who congregated around the Yankee contingent, including a group of elementary school kids. When word got out that the bold-face names were paying a visit to the canal, fans and tourists quickly snapped cell phone photos and shouted Rivera’s name.

"We're excited. We believe that the fan support will be great," Girardi said after touring the site, referring to the series. “We’re hoping to put on two good games with the Marlins.” Girardi also thanked the local baseball fans for their support and added that Rivera has been a "really good" host so far, including greeting the team when it landed at Tocumen Airport late Thursday.

Girardi, who is visiting Panama for the first time, said he was looking forward to lunch at a local restaurant Friday. Asked if Rivera would pitch in either exhibition game this weekend, Girardi joked:

"I doubt it. I should see if I can get him to come out in uniform."

After watching a short film on the history of the canal, Rivera led the group out to the canal's edge where everyone posed for photos. They later walked across the thin walkway of one of the enormous canal locks to view the canal from the opposite side.

"It's awesome," Gardner said. "A lot bigger than I thought it was. It's amazing to see it actually in action. My first time in Panama, and so far I think it’s great."

Rivera's successor as the Yankees' closer was similarly awestruck.

"You never think they could fit a ship through this canal, but somehow they do," Robertson said.

As they piled into several white SUVs for their next stop on the Friday tour of Panama (they were scheduled to visit the presidential palace), Gardner was asked about what it will be like without Rivera starting the season with the team, as he has done for the previous 19 big-league seasons.

“He’s been such a fixture with the Yankees for such a long time. Such a leader and such a great presence in the clubhouse,” said Gardner. “We definitely miss him. Obviously wish him well in the next phase of his life. We love him and support him and that’s why we’re here.”" images NY Daily News, Christian Red, Corey Sipkin, Corey Sipkin

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Mariano speaks to press before dinner in Panama

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3/14/14, "Mariano speaking to the press before the start of the dinner being held in his honor tonight, ," Erik Boland twitter





 

Mariano Rivera carried Panama flag at 2009 World Baseball Classic in Puerto Rico-El Nuevo Dia

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3/8/2009, "It feels good," El Nuevo Dia (Puerto Rico), by Carlos Rosa Rosa 

"While the (World Baseball) Classic will not play in the All-Star closer was excited to get yesterday's uniform Panama."
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"Appeared to be ready to go into action. He was dressed head to the uniform of his native feet. Lucia excited as teammates. The only thing was that his participation as a player was not real.
 
Since the team had wanted him on their pitching staff. It would have been a "plus" for the bullpen, then, it is the best closer in the majors today.
 
Mariano Rivera walked yesterday Ninth Panama in the inaugural events of World Baseball Classic prior to the challenge against the host, Puerto Rico, at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.
 
In his hands he held the flag of Panama.
 
"It feels good," said Yankees reliever New York, speaking experience wear on your chest called Panama.
 
"It is a privilege to be here and represent the country," the Panamanian in a press conference before the game.
 
Rivera did not play in the Classic for the second straight time. This time he did not because he recovers from minor surgery on his throwing shoulder.
 
"It was a decision of the Yankees or mine. Is that went operated right shoulder and can not throw. I would definitely like to pitch, "Rivera said of the questions.
 
Yesterday precisely stung vein Rivera to act in the first round of this competition. In the morning, as part of his rehabilitation, he threw in the bullpen in the Roberto Clemente Stadium in Carolina with his compatriots. It is the second time you launch after arthroscopy.
 
"I felt the desire to be with them and play," he confessed.
 
In the first edition, Panama also participated in the initial round, which took place in Bithorn. Rivera's play and was removed winless Panama.
 
Yesterday, first thing, Netherlands stunned the Dominican Republic, and Rivera also wanted in the second day another surprise produciera.
 
"Panama has a mix of veterans and young players. I know Puerto Rico has an excellent team, and we hope to do well, "the closer, who assist the trainer in the way pitchers pitchearle several of the Puerto Rican batters.
 
Rivera, 39, will go to his 15th season in the majors. And the Panamanian seized the opportunity to answer questions about the upcoming season."...image caption: ""Mariano Rivera, accompanied by the young Carmelo Melendez, yesterday was the champion of the inaugural events in Panama," El Nueva Dia, (google translation from Spanish)
 

Thursday, March 13, 2014

 

Rivera and Panama skyline

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"Mariano Rivera shows off the skyline in Panama City, Panama. The Yankees will play exhibitions this weekend in the legendary closer's native land."

3/13/14, "The trip Mariano Rivera always dreamed Yankees would make," NY Post, George A. King III. image Causi



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Saturday, March 08, 2014

 

Remembering Dr. Jobe

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7/1/12, Tommy John and Rivera chat before game at the Stadium v Chicago White Sox, Perlman, Star Ledger via USA Today Sports. via 3/7/14, "Dr. Frank Jobe, Tommy John and The Surgery That Changed Baseball," Yanks go yard, Matt Mirro

Dr. Jobe was Mariano Rivera's surgeon in 1992:

"Jobe who's surgery saved many pitchers career's, operated on Mariano Rivera's UCL in 1992. Although it wasn't technically "Tommy John Surgery", Dr. Jobe repaired Rivera''s frayed UCL and ultimately saved the all time saves leader's career. Before Tommy John Surgery, a pitchers career was ended by a UCL tear.

Jobe changed the game on September 25, 1974, when he performed the radical procedure on TJ. At the time, Jobe gave John a 5% chance of ever pitching again. John worked out with Dodger teammate Mike Marshall for almost two years. Marshall developed a new pitching motion for John that consisted of him not turning his right leg. John returned to the Dodgers in 1976 and posted a 10-10 record. John's recovery at the time was considered a miracle and Jobe was donned a savior. John went on to pitch 14 more seasons in the majors and compiled an impressive 164 victories, after the surgery.
John, pitched eight seasons for the New York Yankees. He was a two-time All Star and pitched in the 1981 World Series for the Bombers. John finished his 26 season career with a 288-231 record, a 3.34 ERA and 2235 strikeouts. "Today I lost a great friend'" John tweeted.

Jobe told the AP, that he was as surprised as anyone when John came back after the surgery:
When he did come back, I thought maybe we could do it on somebody else. I waited two years to try it on somebody else, but we had no idea that we could do it again. I had no idea it would do this. It startles me even today that it has done that. The doctors are recognizing the condition early enough to fix it and they are learning how to do the surgery so well. They rehab it, so that just not the arm, but the whole body gets better. 
"Dr Jobe's expertise as well as his enthusiasm to mentor his peers, made the national pastime stronger," said Baseball Commissioner, Bud Selig. Jobe saved countless careers with his revolutionary procedure. Former Cy Young Award winner, Orel Hershiser tweeted, "He changed my life! He saved my career!" "

3/7/14, "Tommy John Surgery’ Inventor Dr. Frank Jobe; Dies at 88," sportsmedia101.com, Mike Warsaw


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