Red Sox lefty David Price had a brush with death, and by that, I place it in the context of a pitching death. Pitching changed dramatically with Dr. Frank Jobe and his reconstructive surgery techniques primarily designed to restore the arms of pitchers. Prior to that it was just “gut it out” or retire. Many a pitcher’s careers ended abruptly with a “dead arm.”
Tommy John surgery is the designation for the procedure since the most notable recipient was left-handed pitcher Tommy John. John had his surgery at 31-years-old and upon his return did something he had never done prior to the operation – win 20 games.