Dr. Frank Jobe, the surgeon who performed the first reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow, died yesterday at the age of 88.  Jobe revolutionized sports medicine in 1974, when he operated on pitcher Tommy John, who had a 13-3 record for the Dodgers before injuring his elbow.  Jobe put the chances of John pitching again at 1 in 100.  John spent 18 months rehabilitating his arm before returning for the 1976 season, when he started 31 games and posted a 3.09 ERA.

Jobe waited 2 years before attempting a second UCL reconstruction, as he was unsure of the long term benefits.  As he performed more reconstructions, which became to be known as Tommy John surgery, Jobe became more confident that the repaired, or replaced, ligament would hold up.  What once was a career ending injury has now become one which can be overcome in a year, changing baseball forever.  While Dr. Jobe may no longer be with us, his work, and the pitchers’ careers he helped save, will be with us forever.