Thomas Gerald Underwood (December 22, 1953 – November 22, 2010) was an American
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
. His younger brother, Pat was also a pitcher, and made his major league debut against Tom. It was the first time in major league history this had occurred.
Kokomo High School
Underwood was also
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
. By the time he started high school, he was already a stand out
Little League
Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizationKokomo, Indiana. His junior and senior years, he went 17-3 with a 0.40
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
. Simultaneously, he compiled a 25-1 record playing American Legion Baseball, helping Post 6 win the
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
state championship.
He signed a letter of intent to play
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...
at
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. Bliss for the training of teachers ...
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professional ...
with the
Spartanburg Phillies
Spartanburg is a city in and the seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city of Spartanburg has a municipal population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the 11th-largest city in the state. For a time, the Offic ...
, Underwood went 13-6 record with a
Western Carolinas League
Portion of plaque displaying likeness of John Henry Moss at Municipal Stadium, Hagerstown, Maryland
The Western Carolinas League was a Class D (1948–52; 1960–62) and a low Class A (1963–79) full-season league in American minor league base ...
leading 2.10 ERA and 187 strikeouts. He went 14-5 with a 2.51 in for the double A
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...
to earn a call up to the majors at just twenty years old.
Underwood faced the "
Big Red Machine
The Big Red Machine is a nickname for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team that dominated the National League from 1970 to 1979 and is widely recognized as being among the best in baseball history. The team won six National League West Division ti ...
" in his major league debut. After striking out the first batter he faced (
Dan Driessen
Daniel Driessen (born July 29, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from 1973 to 1987, most notably as a member of the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that won three National Leag ...
Dave Concepción
David Ismael Concepción Benitez (born June 17, 1948) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that won four National Lea ...
followed with a double. He intentionally walked George Foster to load the bases for opposing pitcher
Don Gullett
Donald Edward Gullett (born January 6, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from through , most notably as a member of the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that wo ...
. Gullett singled, scoring two.
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose Sr. (born April 14, 1941), also known by his nickname "Charlie Hustle", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. Rose played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1963 to 1986, most prominently as a membe ...
Joe Morgan
Joe Leonard Morgan (September 19, 1943 – October 11, 2020) was an American professional baseball second baseman who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Colt .45s / Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, ...
unloaded them with a grand slam home run. He exited the game at that point with a 162.00 ERA.
In 12.2 innings pitched after that, Underwood allowed one
earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an erro ...
. He earned his first major league win on September 25 against the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
starting rotation
R
rabbit ears
:Indicates a participant in the game who hears things perhaps too well for their own good. A player who becomes nervous or chokes when opposing players or fans yell at or razz them is said to have rabbit ears. Also, an umpire ...
for the season. Making his first start against the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
, Underwood escaped a
bases loaded
B backdoor breaking ball
:A breaking pitch, usually a slider, curveball, or cut fastball that, due to its lateral motion, passes through a small part of the strike zone on the outside edge of the plate after seeming as if it would miss the p ...
, one out jam in the fifth, highlighted by a force out at home on a ground ball back to the mound by opposing pitcher
Bob Forsch
Robert Herbert Forsch (January 13, 1950 – November 3, 2011) was an American professional baseball player who spent most of his sixteen years in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the St. Louis Cardinals (1974–1988) before finishing his pl ...
. From there, Underwood allowed just two base runners in recording his first career
shutout
In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball.
Shutouts are usuall ...
. On May 13, facing the Cincinnati Reds for the first time since his major league debut, Underwood pitched his second career shutout. For the season, Underwood went 14-13 with a 4.14 ERA and 123 strikeouts to be named the left-handed pitcher on the
Topps All-Star Rookie Team
The Topps All-Star Rookie Team, also known as the Topps ASRT, is a set of baseball cards issued by Topps Company, Inc., every year to commemorate notable Major League Baseball rookie players.
History
Since the 1960s, Topps' regular-issue basebal ...
.
First postseason since 1950
Underwood split the beginning of the season between starts and
relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
appearances. On May 19, he earned a save against the Mets. He was 5-1 with a 3.41 ERA at the All-Star break to secure himself a spot in the starting rotation for the rest of the year.
The 1976 Phillies made it to the post season. The Reds beat the Phillies in the first two games, but the Phillies were holding onto a 6-4 lead when the Reds came to bat in the bottom of the ninth. Foster and Johnny Bench led off the inning with back-to-back home runs to tie the game. Concepción singled, bringing Underwood into the game. Underwood walked the first batter he faced, Geronimo;
Ed Armbrister
Edison Rosanda Armbrister (July 4, 1948 – March 17, 2021) was a Bahamian professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1973 to 1977 for the Cincinnati Reds. Armbrister was a utility player for the Reds t ...
successfully bunted the runners over. Underwood intentionally walked Rose to face Ken Griffey with the bases loaded. He singled to send the Reds to the
1976 World Series
The 1976 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1976 season. The 73rd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National League (NL) champion Cincinnati Reds and the Ameri ...
.
For the season, Underwood and
Wayne Twitchell
Wayne Lee Twitchell (March 10, 1948 – September 16, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher.
Early years
Twitchell played basketball, football and baseball at Wilson High School in Portland, Oregon. The University ...
switched roles, with Underwood heading to the bullpen and Twitchell starting. He was 3-2 with a save and a 5.13 ERA when the Phillies traded him and
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to c ...
s
Rick Bosetti
Richard Alan Bosetti (born August 5, 1953) is an American former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, and Oakland Athletics.
...
and
Dane Iorg
Dane Charles Iorg ( ; born May 11, 1950) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from (–) for four teams, including eight seasons spent with the St. Louis Cardinals. Whi ...
Bake McBride
Arnold Ray McBride (born February 3, 1949), nicknamed "Shake 'n Bake" and "The Callaway Kid", is an American former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillie ...
and minor league pitcher
Steve Waterbury
Steven Craig Waterbury (April 6, 1952 – May 19, 2017) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. Waterbury played for the St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals co ...
.
St. Louis Cardinals
In his first start as a Cardinal against the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
, he was trailing 2-1 when he exited the game in the fourth with the bases loaded. Clay Carroll allowed all three inherited runners to score, giving Underwood five earned runs in 3.1 innings pitched. He ended his time in St. Louis at 6-9 with a 4.95 ERA. After the season, he and minor league pitcher Víctor Cruz were traded to the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
player to be named later
In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...
.
Toronto Blue Jays
Underwood experienced some
déjà vu
''Déjà vu'' ( , ; "already seen") is a French loanword for the phenomenon of feeling as though one has lived through the present situation before.Schnider, Armin. (2008). ''The Confabulating Mind: How the Brain Creates Reality''. Oxford Univers ...
in his first start with his new franchise. After being saved by a double play in the first inning, he was unable to record an out in the second. He exited with the bases loaded, and two runs already across. Once again, the reliever allowed all three inherited runners to score.
He pitched well after that, but suffered from a lack of run support. On May 2, he pitched a complete game, but lost 2-1 to the Oakland Athletics. In his next start, he earned his first
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
win by shutting out the A's. For the season, he pitched seven complete games, winning only the shutout.
The 1978 Jays went 59-102. Only one pitcher, Jim Clancy, had double digit wins (10). Underwood went 6-14 with a 4.10 ERA and led the staff with 139 strikeouts. Manager
Roy Hartsfield
Roy Thomas Hartsfield (October 25, 1925 – January 15, 2011) was a second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball; his MLB playing and managing careers each lasted three years. Hartsfield played his entire major league career with the Bo ...
made the unusual decision to move the staff's de facto ace, Jesse Jefferson, into the bullpen for . By default, Underwood became the "ace," and was given the opening day assignment against the reigning
American League West
The American League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The division has five teams as of the 2013 season, but had four teams from 1994 to 2012, and had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams curr ...
After a 1-2-3 first inning, things fell apart for Underwood and the Jays as a whole in the second inning. After walking clean-up hitter Al Cowens, Underwood induced a double play ball from the next batter Hal McRae. Instead,
third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
error
An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'.
In statistics ...
, and both runners were safe. Underwood then walked the bases loaded for John Wathan. Wathan hit a bases clearing
triple
Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble":
Sports
* Triple (baseball), a three-base hit
* A basketball three-point field goal
* A figure skating jump with three rotations
* In bowling terms, three strikes in a row
* ...
. He recorded his first out of the inning against future
Hall of Famer
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...
George Brett
George Howard Brett (born May 15, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player who played all of his 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a third baseman for the Kansas City Royals.
Brett's 3,154 career hits are second-mo ...
, but also walked two batters and allowed a base hit to bring the score to 4-0 with
Amos Otis
Amos Joseph Otis (born April 26, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a center fielder from to , most prominently as an integral member of the Kansas City Royals team that won t ...
coming to the plate. For the second time in the inning, Underwood induced a double play ball, and for the second time in the inning, the infielder committed an error ( second basemanDave McKay). Cowens came to bat for the second time in the inning, and flew out to center. McRae followed with a double that scored the seventh run of the inning, and ending Underwood's day. Two more runs would score before the inning came to a merciful end.
Underwood got off to an 0-3 start, but was in line to win his first game against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 3. Over eight innings, Underwood had walked three and allowed five hits as he stepped to the mound in the ninth with the Jays holding onto a 4-3 lead. After retiring the first batter, he gave up back-to-back singles to the next two. He hit the next batter with a pitch to load the bases.
Though Underwood was clearly gassed, Hartsfield stuck with him.
Paul Molitor
Paul Leo Molitor (born August 22, 1956), nicknamed "Molly" and "the Ignitor", is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and former manager of the Minnesota Twins, who is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. During his 21-year baseball car ...
hit a ground ball back to Underwood, who threw it home for the force out at the plate. With two outs and the bases loaded, Underwood walked the next two batters for the loss.
Big league brothers
On May 31, 1979, Underwood made a start against the Detroit Tigers. The opposing pitcher was his brother, Pat, making his major league debut.
Tom found the whole thing stupid, but the brothers brought their best. Pat did not give up a hit until the fifth inning. Tom allowed four hits and struck out four in keeping the Tigers scoreless through seven. Then, Tigers center fielder
Jerry Morales
Julio Ruben "Jerry" Morales Torres (born February 18, 1949) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played from -.
Career
Morales was originally signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent at the age of 17 in 1966. He went to th ...
led off the eighth with a home run. Pat pitched into the ninth before handing the game over to the bullpen to close it out. For Tom, it was another complete game loss.
0-9, 4.98 ERA
Underwood lost his next start, bringing him to 0-8 on the season, and 1-10 in complete games since joining the Jays. He would fall to 0-9 before finally winning his first game on June 15 by shutting out the A's. In his nine losses, the Jays scored fifteen runs.
His next start was another complete game loss, in which the Jays were only able to score one run, however, he managed to turn his season around from there. Over the remainder of the season, Underwood went 8-6 with a 3.22 ERA. Overall, he led his team with nine wins, a 3.69 ERA, 127 strikeouts and 227 innings pitched. He had eleven losses in which the Jays score two runs or fewer.
New York Yankees
On November 1, 1979, the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
traded post season hero
Chris Chambliss
Carroll Christopher Chambliss (born December 26, 1948) is an American professional baseball player and coach (baseball), coach. He played in Major League Baseball from to for the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves. He served ...
and young prospects
Dámaso García
Dámaso Domingo García Sánchez (7 February 1957 – 15 April 2020) was a Dominican professional baseball second baseman, best known for his time spent with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB), in the 1980s.
García was orig ...
catcher
Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...
Rick Cerone and minor league outfielder Ted Wilborn. Underwood was happy to join a contender, and signed a four year deal with his new club upon arrival.
He began his Yankee career in the bullpen, going 1-2 with a save and a 3.10 ERA before becoming one of four left handers in the starting rotation. His pattern of bad first starts in which he can't escape the second inning continued against the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
on April 30, however, he followed that up with six victories in a row. He lost four of his next five, including the worst start of his career against the Texas Rangers (5 batters faced, no outs recorded, 5 earned runs).
The 1980 Yankees went 103-59 to return to the post season after a one year hiatus. Underwood went 13-9 with a 3.66 ERA, two saves and two shutouts. He returned to the bullpen for the post season.
In game one of the
1980 American League Championship Series
The 1980 American League Championship Series was a best-of-five playoff that featured the American League West champion Kansas City Royals against the American League East champion New York Yankees. This was the fourth matchup between the two t ...
against the Royals, Underwood pitched what should have been a 1-2-3 eighth inning. Instead, Yankees
first baseman
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
Bob Watson made a two out error. This opened the door to the Royals scoring two more runs in their 7-2 game one victory. Underwood pitched again in game three; the Yankees were down 2-0 in the series, and 4-2 in game three when Underwood was handed the ball. Underwood pitched two scoreless innings, but so did Royals closer
Dan Quisenberry
Daniel Raymond "Quiz" Quisenberry (; February 7, 1953 – September 30, 1998) was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Kansas City Royals. Notable for his submarine-style pitching delivery ...
, to complete the three game sweep.
Oakland A's
Underwood was 1-4 with a 4.41 ERA in when the Yankees traded him and
Jim Spencer
James Lloyd Spencer (July 30, 1947 – February 10, 2002) was a Major League Baseball first baseman. Born in Hanover, Pennsylvania, the left-handed Spencer was recognized for his excellent fielding ability, but also served in later years as a d ...
to the A's for
Dave Revering
David Alvin Revering (born February 12, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player. He appeared in 557 games as a first baseman, designated hitter and pinch hitter in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1982 for four American League t ...
and two minor leaguers.
Underwood made three starts upon joining his new team (no decisions) before the players strike interrupted the season. When play resumed, manager
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel Martin Jr. (May 16, 1928 – December 25, 1989), commonly called "Billy", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager who, in addition to leading other teams, was five times the manager of the New York Yan ...
moved Underwood into the bullpen. He went 2-2 with a 3.48 ERA and a save. He also made two starts down the stretch. One of which was a four hit 5-1 victory over the Blue Jays in which he struck out a career high ten, including the last four batters he faced.
The A's won the first half of the split season format instituted for the 1981 season. Underwood faced just one batter in the
1981 American League Division Series
The 1981 American League Division Series (ALDS), the opening round of the 1981 American League playoffs, began on Tuesday, October 6, and ended on Sunday, October 11. The Division Series were approved by team owners on August 6 in response to th ...
with the Royals, striking out Willie Aikens. The A's swept the Royals in the ALDS to face Underwood's former team, the Yankees, in the
1981 American League Championship Series
The 1981 American League Championship Series was a best-of-five series between the New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics.
Background
Due to a strike-shortened season, each team had to win two playoff series to reach the World Series. Oakla ...
. The Yankees swept the series, with Underwood pitching in games one and three.
Underwood preferred starting, but was far more successful as a reliever in Oakland. He split the next two seasons pretty evenly between starting and relieving. In , he was 5-3 with a 4.06 ERA in 64.1 innings pitched as a starter. As a reliever, his record was also 5-3, but with a 2.74 ERA and a career best seven saves (second on the A's to Dave Beard) in 88.2 innings pitched.
In he had a 5.54 ERA in 76.1 innings as a starter, almost double the 2.37 ERA he had as a reliever. The 68.1 innings he pitched out of the bullpen was tied for second on the team, and he had four of the bullpen's 33 saves.
Baltimore Orioles
Underwood became a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
at the end of the season, and signed a one year deal with team options with the Orioles, who were clearly set with starting pitchers. He made one start (May 12, 3 innings against the A's), but was otherwise exclusively a long reliever. He was 1-0 with one save and a 3.52 ERA on the season. After which, the Orioles chose not to pick up his option. He returned to the Yankees in , and went 1-3 with a 5.17 ERA in 28 minor league games before retiring.
Career stats
{, class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
, W
, L
, Pct
,
ERA
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Comp ...
Underwood reached the post season three times in his career. All three times, his team was swept in the championship series, and all three times he was his team’s final pitcher, but he was never the losing pitcher. In , the ''
Kokomo Tribune
The ''Kokomo Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Kokomo, Indiana, United States. It is owned by Community Newspaper Holdings Inc.
The ''Tribune'' was cited by the Audit Bureau of Circulation for the nation's highest market penetration for eig ...
'' named Underwood Howard County, Indiana’s "Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century." He was inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame in .
Private life
After retiring, Underwood became a financial adviser. He met Christine Morra, an LPGA pro, at a golf tournament. They married, and had two children, a daughter Dani and a son John. Underwood died from pancreatic cancer on November 22, .
His son, known as J.D., was drafted by the Dodgers in the fifth round of the
2013 Major League Baseball draft
The 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey.
Each team received one selection per round, going in ...
Society for American Baseball Research
The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is a membership organization dedicated to fostering the research and dissemination of the history and record of baseball primarily through the use of statistics. Established in Cooperstown, New ...