TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) When people hear Tommy John, they immediately think of the surgery pitchers in baseball have to repair a ligament in their elbow, but the man it is named for, a Terre Haute native who has recently entered hospice care, is accepting his fate as he pens a letter to his fans.Recently, Terre Haute native and former MLB pitcher Tommy John thanked the New York Yankees and the fans who cheered him on over his career as he enters hospice care. Bruce Rosselli, a part-owner and general manager for the Terre Haute Rex, who has hosted a Tommy John night in the past to honor his legacy and impact on the game, and a friend of Tommy John, was shocked to hear the news of Tommy John's health."I was saddened to hear that," Rosselli said. "The last few weeks, I've been speaking with him, encouraging him and letting him know Terre Haute is behind him, the Terre Haute Rex are playing for him. Things like that to encourage him."Tommy John played 26 seasons in the MLB with six different teams and recorded over 2,000 strikeouts while collecting nearly 300 wins as a pitcher."In the modern era of the 1960s, 70s, he was all over the map with Major League Baseball, getting drafted in 1961," Rosselli said.In today's day and age, however, when people hear Tommy John, they think of the surgery named after him instead of the player himself. Rosselli had Tommy John speak to his teams many times to help make sure as many players hear his story and know the person behind the name."We had pitchers get up with their scar from their Tommy John and was taking pictures with Tommy," Rosselli said. "They just thought it was the greatest thing to have, their elbow match his elbow."Even though Tommy John has limited time left on Earth, people wouldn't know that by his attitude.I spoke to him; he was a little bit more talkative. He couldn't talk very loudly; he was still joking, this this guy has always full of jokes," Rosselli said. "When we talked about the Rex and we're going into the championship round, he's like, hey, go out and get them."The baseball field he grew up playing on in Terre Haute is named after him, but more recognition would be on the way in the form of a statue."My last words hearing from Tommy last night when I asked him, what do you want on the statue? Which team? And he whispered, he cannot speak very loud, was pinstripes," Rosselli said. "It's going to be a life-size pitching motion of Tommy and the pinstripes. It will live on longer seeing a statue than just hearing about or reading it about it as a name."A man whose career took him all over the United States will always remember where he came from."One of the things he always quotes that his dad told him," Rosselli said. "That you will always be Tommy John, no matter whether you go to the big leagues or not. Just know you're Tommy John from Terre Haute."The statue is still in the early discussions, but some possible locations for the statue could include a place like 7th and Wabash or even at Bob Warn Field, where the Indiana State baseball team plays.Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyWabashValley.com.