According to reports, New York Yankee legend Tommy John has been hospitalized with COVID-19. He’s been hospitalized since December 13th in Southern California.
However, John doesn’t seem worried about his health status, as he and his son doubt whether the pandemic is real.
“I’d leave right now if they’d let me walk out,” the 77-year-old told the Daily Beast. “These people here would put you on anything.”
John’s son, Tommy John lll, has expressed his thoughts against the COVID-19 pandemic on Twitter. He’s claimed that the virus isn’t real, that masks don’t work, and that vaccines “don’t eradicate anything but healthy children”.
John lll has no concerns about his father, even though COVID-19 continues to rage through the country. Over 21 million Americans have tested positive for COVID-19, with over 350k deaths. Other former MLB stars have passed away from the virus, but that doesn’t seem to bother John lll about his father’s wellbeing.
John, a career 288 game-winner, posted a career 3.34 ERA with a 1.283 WHIP and a 3.38 FIP. He pitched 12 seasons with the Indians, White Sox, and Dodgers before being sidelined for the 1975 season with an elbow injury. He underwent a special procedure to reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament. The procedure would eventually be named after him, and he’d go on to pitch 14 more Major League seasons.
The pitcher spent parts of eight seasons as a member of the Yankees, the most of any team in his career. He won 91 games and pitched nearly 1400 innings in pinstripes.
John turns 78-years-old in May.