TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — When people hear Tommy John, they immediately think of the surgery pitchers in baseball have to repair a ligament in their elbow, but the man it is named for, a Terre Haute native who has recently entered hospice care, is accepting his fate as he pens a letter to his fans.
Recently, Terre Haute native and former MLB pitcher Tommy John thanked the New York Yankees and the fans who cheered him on over his career as he enters hospice care. Bruce Rosselli, a part-owner and general manager for the Terre Haute Rex, who has hosted a Tommy John night in the past to honor his legacy and impact on the game, and a friend of Tommy John, was shocked to hear the news of Tommy John's health.
"I was saddened to hear that," Rosselli said. "The last few weeks, I've been speaking with him, encouraging him and letting him know Terre Haute is behind him, the Terre Haute Rex are playing for him. Things like that to encourage him."
Tommy John played 26 seasons in the MLB with six different teams and recorded over 2,000 strikeouts while collecting nearly 300 wins as a pitcher.
"In the modern era of the 1960s, 70s, he was all over the map with Major League Baseball, getting drafted in 1961," Rosselli said.

#terre #tommy #rosselli #hospice