Overview
- The New York Yankees posted a letter from Tommy John on Saturday, Aug. 8, in which he thanked the club and the Steinbrenner family and said he was 'saying goodbye' to fans and teammates.
- Several news organizations, citing Reuters and other reporting, say John is receiving hospice care at his Bradenton, Florida, home while the Yankees described him as battling health issues from home.
- MLB.com and team reporting say John recently underwent treatment related to a recurrence of bladder cancer, a condition he first disclosed in 2024.
- John’s letter paid tribute to Dr. Frank Jobe and to the operation that bears his name, the 1974 elbow reconstruction that allowed him to return and win 164 more games and finish his career with 288 victories.
- John’s public goodbye and reported hospice status have kept focus on his human legacy and on how the surgical technique named for him reshaped sports medicine and extended many pitching careers.