1980 Profile: Tom Underwood

"His goal in '79 was not to lose 20- and he made it. His brother, Pat, pitches for the Tigers. Tom dueled his brother once last year and lost. He's critical of the Blue Jays' policy of pampering kids: 'The rest of us are tired of being babysat. We're men.'
Tom has one of the best curves of any left-hander in the league. Born in Kokomo, Indiana, he snapped the Jays' jinx against the Orioles with a win on September 11- Toronto's first against the Birds in more than a year. He came to the Yankees in the Chris Chambliss deal.
Tom's fastball is underrated. He was the Phillies' number two draft pick in June 1972 and was a winner in the National League."

-Jim Hawkins, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1980 Edition

"Without thinking twice, Tom Underwood responded with pride and as little hesitation as possible when asked whether he would enjoy being a member of the New York Yankees.
'Are you kidding?' he smiled. 'I wanted to go to a contender. The Yankees, that's the place to be.'
Coming from the Toronto Blue Jays in a trade completed last November, his native of Kokomo, Indiana entertains visions of a winning season and a possible shot at a pennant with the Yankees. He can throw strikes and he proved himself by leading the Blue Jays in batters fanned last season. He also led them in wins, ERA, starts and innings, despite losing his first nine decisions. For his efforts, Tommy was named Blue Jays Pitcher of the Year.
Only 26, Underwood already has five and a half seasons in the majors under his belt. Manager Dick Howser feels Tommy can be an important left-hander in the Yankee pitching corps, especially with the results he's posted against such rivals as the Baltimore Orioles, who he held to a 1.72 ERA in 1979. With much more offensive punch, Tommy won't only recognize Lady Luck, he'll probably find her rooting him on in the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium."

-The New York Yankees Official 1980 Yearbook

"After a start that saw him lose his first nine decisions, Tommy finished up strong with a 9-16 mark and led the Blue Jays in wins (9), ERA (3.69), starts (32), innings (227) and strikeouts (127). He was named Blue Jays Pitcher of the Year.
Underwood won his first game of the year on June 15, beating the A's 5-0 with a 5-hit shutout. That win broke a 13-game losing streak that had started at the end of the 1978 season- it was actually his first win since August 8, 1978. After breaking into the win column, Tommy then lost his next start to the Yankees, a tough 2-1 defeat on June 20, giving up just six hits. But then he came back to beat the Yanks for win number two on June 25 with a 3-1, complete game 3-hitter. His low hit game of the year was a complete game 2-hit, 3-2 win over the Royals (two unearned runs) on August 7. Tommy finished up with three straight wins, and he won four of his last five, and five of his last eight decisions. He beat Guidry 3-2 for his final win of the year on September 21.
Underwood was a hard-luck pitcher for the Jays all year. Opposing hitters batted just .253 against him, and he was 3-0 with a 2.09 ERA in September. He pitched well at Exhibition Stadium, going 8-5 there with a 3.09 ERA. Tommy was especially impressive against the Al champ Orioles, with a 1.57 ERA in four starts against them. He had a winning record over the Yanks, though, going 2-1 with a 1.50 ERA in three starts.
Tommy was the Blue Jays strikeout leader in his first season with them in 1978. He was also the unluckiest pitcher on the Jays' staff that year; more unearned runs were scored on him while he was on the mound than on any other Blue Jay pitcher. Tommy pitched a 2-hitter against the A's on May 2 to set a club record for fewest hits given up by a Blue Jay pitcher in a complete game, and lost 2-1. He picked up his first AL win by shutting out the A's 4-0 in his next start on May 9. He holds the Blue Jay record for most strikeouts in one year (140 in '78). Tommy was named co-winner of the Labatts Outstanding Pitcher of the Year in 1978.
After spending his first two-and-a-half seasons in the major leagues with the Phillies, Tommy had his first losing season in 1977 (split between the Phillies and Cards) after compiling a 25-18 record with the Phillies from 1974-77. He was 21-4 in his career at Veterans Stadium and appeared in the 1976 NLCS with the Phillies. He was the left-handed pitcher on the Topps All-Rookie team in 1975.
Tommy was the Phillies' number two selection in the June 1972 Free Agent Draft. He had a combined minor league record of 27-12 with 21 complete games and averaged nearly a strikeout per inning in the minors.
Tommy's dad played briefly in the Phillies organization. His brother, Pat, is a pitcher for the Tigers. Tommy faced him on May 31 last year and lost a 1-0 decision to him and to the Tigers; Tommy went all the way on a 6-hitter, Pat gave up three hits in eight-and-one-third innings.
Underwood played football, basketball and baseball all four years at Kokomo High School, and attended Indiana University for one year. He gave up a grand slam to Joe Morgan, getting shelled for six runs in one third of an inning in a nationally televised Monday night game, in his first major league game.
Tommy enjoys golf and hunting, and rooted for the Yankees and Mickey Mantle as a youngster. He lists the Sox' Chet Lemon as his toughest opponent."

-New York Yankees 1980 Media Guide