Baseball legend Tommy John says he didn’t get into Hall of Fame because of his support for Donald Trump
The ex-New York Mets player was on the ballot in 2016 and 2020 but missed his nomination.
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The MLB legend, Tommy John, who has the surgery named after him, claims he was denied a place in the Hall of Fame because of his backing of the controversial Donald Trump despite the Republican not running when John was eligible.
A four-time MLB All-Star who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, the 81-year-old achieved a 288-231 win-loss record, 2245 strikeouts and a 3.34 earned run average (ERA) an impressive 26-year career.
He also led the National League in winning percentage for two years and appeared in three World Series contests but never won a ring, as well as competing in two American League Championship series.
But despite being eligible for the MLB Hall of Fame ballot from 1995-2009, he claimed it was because of his voting tendencies although Trump was not running for president seriously until 2016.
“Maybe because I voted for Donald Trump,” John said to Michael Kay regarding his omission. “Probably. I don’t know.
“I have no idea. If I knew and I could do something, I would do it. But I can’t.”
Trump ran for office on behalf of the Republicans in 2016 and defeated Hillary Clinton to win the White House, with John voting for him, although his tenure was marked by controversies from his regular golfing habits through to endangering national security.
Then in 2020 he attempted to defend his position as president, with John voting for him again, only to be defeated by Joe Biden. He’s now running against Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
What is Tommy John Surgery?
John is most well known for his return to the sport following surgery, which has now become known as Tommy John Surgery and is a common operation for MLB pitchers with around an estimated 14% going through it in their career.
It aims to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow by replacing it with another tendon from elsewhere in the body, or from a donor, and allows the restoration of a pitcher’s throwing ability.
The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) can become stretched, frayed, or torn through the repetitive stress of the throwing motion causing a degradation of the tensile strength of the tendon and it is only becoming more common.
That’s because pitchers are beginning to throw faster than ever before and someone throwing over 201 pitchers per season, as of 2002, see their risk of developing the condition and needing the surgery rise by 63%.
