Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tommy John has been hospitalized multiple times since he tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 13 and is currently on oxygen, according to reporting by The Daily Beast.
A bizarre wrinkle to the unfortunate diagnosis is that John’s eldest son Tommy John III has denied and continues to deny the reality of the on-going pandemic.
Via multiple social media platforms, John III regularly espouses false conspiracy theories that the pandemic is not real, masks are not effective and that germs do not cause illness.
The younger John, a chiropractor from San Diego, describes himself as a Doctor and offers medical opinions to the public despite holding no medical degree.
According to his website, John III holds Masters Degrees in Health and Exercise Science from Furman University, and received his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree from Life University, which is noted as “a 4-year program.” on his site.
There is no pandemic. Not sure if you’d heard yet. Just wanted to clear it up in case you were in a medicated mood stabilized walking coma. It’s much worse than a pandemic. We need everyone to rise up and find what they’re willing to fight for…especially men. I’m coming for you pic.twitter.com/RrEewA8VFP
— Dr. Tommy John (@DrTommyJohnDC) September 10, 2020
When the elder John spoke with The Daily Beast from his hospital bed in Indio, he reported he was experiencing no symptoms and that “I’d leave right now if they’d let me walk out.”
However, John went on to clarify however that “I’m not a denier. I’ve had it, baby,” in an interview with the Associated Press.
The episode began when John began to feel ill on a trip to Nashville in December, when returning from dinner one evening he suddenly found himself barely able to get out of the car.
John and longtime girlfriend Cheryl Zeldin returned to California the next day and John needed assistance from multiple people to exit the plane.
The next day, Dec. 13, John was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with COVID-19.
He has since been hospitalized two additional times and previously received oxygen treatments after the first incident.
Despite his father’s positive diagnosis, the younger John continues to deny the reality of the pandemic.
Over the course of his 26-year career in the major leagues, John spent seven seasons with the Dodgers from 1972-1978. During his tenure with the team, John underwent an elbow surgery to replace his torn ulnar collateral ligament which now bears his name as ‘Tommy John surgery’.
The surgery allowed him to return to the mound for another 14 seasons and has since become a common procedure among MLB pitchers, with one in seven receiving the surgery over their career.
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Tommy John the baseball player, legend! Class Act
Tommy John Jr, the quack, loser! Classless
So sad that so many powerful and successful people end up raising clueless braindead offspring.
Tommy John, legend
Tommy John Jr., loser, quack