Dont let him touch the ball again

How does a pitcher make three errors on the same play and still come away with a convincing win? Many things would have to be right to make that happen. If the date was July 27, 1988 and you are pitching for the Yankees at Yankee Stadium, you might have a chance. If your name is Tommy John then it could happen.

In the Brewer fourth inning, future Hall of Famer Paul Molitor led off by oddly enough, grounding out back to John. Second baseman Jim Gantner then walked. Leftfielder Jeffery Leonard started all the trouble by hitting a ground ball back to John, tommy booted the ball. John then threw the ball into rightfield. His rightfielder, another future Hall of famer, Dave Winfield tried to throw Gantner out at the plate. However, John cut the throw off and relayed it, you guessed it, the Brewer dugout. Both runners scored on the play.

The Yankees still came away with a 16-3 win for John. That is how you can commit three errors on one play and still win a game. The mere fact that at the age of 45, John was still pitching says alot about two men. Those men being Dr. Frank Jobe and Dr. Robert Kerlen. The doctors tended to John in 1974 after he ruptured the ligament in his pitching elbow. Before then it was a death sentance for a pitcher, a career ending injury. After experimental surgery put John back on the mound, Tommy resumed his pitching career. Many pitchers have had "Tommy John" surgery and continued to pitch. For this feat, I firmly believe that these two doctors should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Of course, I also firmly believe that Marvin Miller should be there too.

Tomorrow we will look at the first no-hitter.