On the 50th anniversary of the operation that changed baseball forever, Tommy John have a belief as to why he is not in the baseball hall of fame.
John, given name famous elbow surgeryretired with 288 wins and a 3.34 ERA, but he never received more than 31.7% of the writer’s vote. So he’s not in Cooperstown.
The 81-year-old is one of the most famous pitchers of all time, so he was asked why he thought he wasn’t in the Hall of Fame.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Tommy John of the New York Yankees pitches at Yankee Stadium circa 1980. (Focus on Sports/Getty Images)
He says it has to do with his political views and primarily his voting decisions.
“Maybe because I voted for Donald Trump,” John said ESPN New York radio.
John was on the writers’ ballot from 1995 to 2009, and Trump did not run until 2016. John was also not voted in by the Veteran’s Committee in both 2011 and 2014, but the committee also skipped him in 2018 and 2020.
Tommy John of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia circa 1975. (Focus on Sports/Getty Images)
PADRES TURN TRIPLE PLAY TO END GAME, CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH: ‘IT’S SHOCKING’
John also lamented today’s era of baseball, calling out pitchers who claim to be “workhorses” but last five or six innings. He said a win would be credited after seven innings, not the five innings that has been the norm since long before John was even born.
The legendary pitcher isn’t the first to say politics kept him out of the Hall. Curt Schilling expressed similar sentiments after he just missed writing in his penultimate year on the ballot, and he even petitioned to be off the ballot in his senior year. Neither the Hall of Fame nor the writers committed, and Schilling received a lower percentage the following year. His fate is now in the hands of the Veterans Committee.
Tommy John of the New York Yankees is shown at Yankee Stadium circa 1987. (Focus on Sports/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
John was in the big leagues from 1963 to 1989, played for the White Sox, Dodgers, Yankees and the then-Indians.
Follow Fox News Digital sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.