Frank Jobe
Frank Jobe | |
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Tommy John surgery | |
Spouse | Beverly Jobe |
Children | 4 |
Frank James Jobe (July 16, 1925 – March 6, 2014) was an American orthopedic surgeon and co-founder of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic. Jobe pioneered both elbow ligament replacement and major reconstructive shoulder surgery for baseball players.
In 1974, Jobe performed the first "
Early life
Frank Jobe was born in 1925 in
Career
Early years
After the war, Jobe enrolled in
In 1964 Jobe began to consult with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He teamed with Robert Kerlan to specialize in the developing field of sports medicine. The duo co-founded the Southwestern Orthopaedic Medical Group in 1965, later renamed the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic.[2] Jobe officially joined the Dodgers' medical staff in 1968.[2][7]
Along with the Dodgers, the clinic supervised medical treatment for the
Tommy John surgery
On September 25, 1974, Jobe made sports medicine history when he performed the first reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow (UCL) using a revolutionary procedure he had devised.
What has since become commonly known as
In 1982, he performed the procedure on Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Choji Murata, the first such procedure in Japan.[9]
Jobe was unsure the procedure's benefits would last, so he waited two years before performing the second UCL reconstruction. After success with several more baseball players and a
In the four decades since its inception elbow ligament replacement has become common practice for pitchers and players at all levels of baseball,[2] with an estimated one-third of all Major League pitchers in 2014 having undergone it.[1] What Jobe had estimated as a 1 in 100 prospect of a complete recovery for John had risen to 85–92 percent by 2009.[10]
For baseball players, full rehabilitation takes about one year for pitchers and about six months for position players. Players typically begin throwing about 16 weeks after surgery.[11] Prior to his surgery, John had won 124 games. He won 164 after surgery, retiring in 1989 at age 46.[2] Other pitchers to extend their careers after Tommy John surgery include Stephen Strasburg, David Wells, A. J. Burnett, Francisco Liriano, Chris Carpenter, Tim Hudson, John Smoltz, Joe Nathan, Brian Wilson, Billy Wagner, and Matt Harvey. Sandy Koufax once asked Jobe "why didn’t you do that on me?"[2] Jobe's response was that if he had only invented the procedure ten years earlier it would have been known as the "Sandy Koufax surgery."
The initial Tommy John surgery, John's return to pitching success, and the relationship between the two men was the subject of a 2013 ESPN 30 for 30 Shorts documentary.[12]
Shoulder reconstruction surgery
In 1990, Jobe performed major reconstructive surgery on the shoulder of Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser's throwing arm, the first time this procedure was used on a major league player.[13] In this surgery, he pioneered a new procedure that reduced the amount of trauma suffered by tissue during the surgery. The surgery allowed Hershiser to continue his career, and the procedure continues to be used.[2]
Later years
Jobe served as Clinical Professor, Department of
Jobe authored over 140 medical publications, wrote 30 book chapters, and edited seven books. He received three
Personal life
Jobe met his future wife Beverly Anderson while working as a general practitioner and she was referred to him as a patient. Rather than treat her himself, he had another doctor treat her so the pair could date.[3] They had four sons, who had eight grandchildren.[15]
Jobe underwent
Legacy
Jobe was inducted into the Baseball Reliquary's Shrine of the Eternals in 2012.[20]
Hall of Fame consideration
Jobe's name has periodically been informally mentioned by sportswriters, fans, and players alike as worthy of a nomination for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.[21][22][23] In August 2012, an official campaign Web site to have Frank Jobe honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame was launched.[24]
Jobe was honored during Hall of Fame weekend on July 27, 2013, in Cooperstown, New York. Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson said Jobe's work is a testament to the positive role of medicine in baseball's growth. Tommy John attended,[25] praising Jobe by saying, "I think there should be a medical wing in the Hall of Fame, starting with him."[2]
References
- ^ a b Renck, Troy E (March 7, 2014). "Dr. Frank Jobe brought pitchers new life with Tommy John surgery". The Denver Post.
According to an ESPN study last season of 124 active pitchers, one-third had undergone the procedure
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Goldstein, Richard (March 6, 2014). "Frank Jobe, Surgeon Who Saved Pitchers' Careers, Dies at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e "Frank Jobe's Hall of Fame Life". Major League Baseball. July 22, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
- ^ Perry, Dayn (June 11, 2008). "Jobe obit". Cbssports.com. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
- ^ Gurnick, Ken (March 6, 2014). "Famed surgeon Jobe dies at 88". MLB.com. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
- ^ Dilbeck, Steve (September 24, 1999). "Miracle Worker; Dr. Jobe Gives Players Back Their Arms". Daily News. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
- ^ a b "Tommy John surgery pioneer Frank Jobe dies – Baseball Wires". MiamiHerald.com. Sports Network. March 7, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
- ^ a b "Biography". drjobehof.org. Archived from the original on October 30, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
- ^ "Hall of Fame pitcher Murata pays tribute to Dr. Jobe". The Japan Times. March 7, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ Rosenhek, Eric (July 1, 2009). "The gory details of Tommy John surgery". The Good Point. Archived from the original on November 20, 2011. Retrieved July 3, 2006.
- ^ Dodd, Mike (July 29, 2003). "A year of rehab for Tommy John patients". USA Today. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
- ^ Grantland staff (July 23, 2013). "30 for 30 Shorts: Tommy and Frank". Grantland. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- ^ "Hershiser Comeback A 'Miracle'". Sun Sentinel. May 30, 1991. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
- ^ Quevedo, Jane. "Frank Jobe". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
- ^ a b Gloster, Rob. "Frank Jobe, Surgeon Who Repaired Pitchers' Elbows, Dies at 88". Businessweek. Archived from the original on March 7, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
- ^ "Their Faith Still Speaks: Notable Adventist Deaths in 2014". Adventist Review. December 31, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
- ^ "Frank Jobe, Renown Sports Doctor, Passes Away". Adventist Review. March 13, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
- ^ "LLU School of Medicine Alumnus, Frank W. Jobe, Remembered at Dodger Stadium". Adventist Review. April 11, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
- ^ Dilbeck, Steve (March 7, 2014). "Remembering Dr. Frank Jobe". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
- ^ "Shrine of the Eternals – Inductees". Baseball Reliquary. Retrieved 2019-08-14.
- ^ Hoffarth, Tom (April 24, 2012). "What would it take for Dr. Frank Jobe to knife his way into the Baseball Hall of Fame?". Daily News. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
- ^ Isidore, Chris (July 27, 2007). "Surgeon should make Cooperstown 'cut'". CNN Money. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
- ^ Lopresti, Mike (July 19, 2010). "Cooperstown needs to take another look at these influences on the game". USA Today. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
- ^ "Dr. Frank Jobe for the National Baseball Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on October 30, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
- ^ National Baseball Hall of Fame: 2013 Induction Ceremony Archived March 7, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
External links
- Frank Jobe at the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR BioProject)