Tom Underwood

In the eyes of many Howard County sports fans, Underwood was a lock for the Hall of Fame’s charter class. It’s easy to see why. Named the county’s Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century by the Kokomo Tribune, Underwood enjoyed outstanding youth, prep and professional careers.

His amazing exploits carried him from UCT Little League through Kokomo Babe Ruth, Kokomo High School and the American Legion baseball program. A three-sport athlete at Kokomo High School, Underwood was the school’s first great pitcher. A lefthander with a nasty breaking ball and sneaky fastball,

Underwood was 17-3 with a .040 ERA his final two seasons with the Kats. He was equally effective pitching his final two seasons for Kokomo’s American Legion team, amassing a 25-1 record while leading Kokomo to the 1972 state championship.

Underwood was drafted 27th overall in the ‘72 amateur baseball draft by Philadelphia and wasted little time getting the call. He made his Major League debut in 1974 on national television against Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine and while that night didn’t go so well, Underwood had plenty that did in years to come.

He pitched 10 seasons in the Majors and despite laboring two seasons for expansion team Toronto where wins were scarce, he closed out his career with an 86-87 won-lost record. In those 10 seasons, also pitching for St. Louis, the New York Yankees, Oakland and Baltimore, Underwood operated as a starter and from the bullpen. His best seasons were 1976 in Philadelphia where he was 10-5 and in 1982 in Oakland where, while making 56 appearances, he posted a 10-6 record that included seven saves and a 3.29 ERA that ranked among the 10 lowest in the American League.