One of the orthopedic surgeons who perfected the Tommy John surgery, and one of my many mentors from the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic, Dr. Lewis Yocum, died this week. He was one of the most well-like and well-respected surgeons in the United States.
I remember two stories about Dr. Yocum from my year of fellowship. First, was when I gave a lecture to the department that cited one of his earlier studies on the knee. I managed to obtain an old photo of the distinguished white-haired surgeon when he was younger with a thick set of sandy brown hair and a dark mustache, and included it in the slide presentation when his work came up in the talk. His colleagues who actually knew him when he was younger loved it! He was the kind of guy who could take a joke and laugh at himself. Second, was when my friend's mother was struggling with cancer. She was a huge baseball fan, and her favorite player was Mo Vaughn. I mentioned this to Lew and he gave me a baseball autographed by Mo Vaughn that he just happened to have lying around the house and insisted that I give it to my friend's mom. I still get thanked by my friend for that one.
Lew Yocum was one of the good guys. I know he saved many ballplayers' careers with his elbow and shoulder surgeries, but he also touched my life in an unforgettable way. If any of you met Dr. Yocum, I would love to hear any more stories in honor of him.
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