Roy Halladay: 1977 – 2017
Roy Halladay died in a plane crash on Tuesday, in the Gulf of Mexico, near to the Florida coast. He was the only victim, and he was 40 years old. Halladay loved to fly — following his retirement from baseball in 2013, it became one of his major pursuits.
We know Halladay for his career, and it was an incredible one. He ran a four-digit ERA in 2000, and three years later, he won the AL Cy Young. Seven years later, he won the NL Cy Young, and along the way he threw a perfect game and a playoff no-hitter while making an All-Star roster eight times. Out of a career nearly sidetracked before it really began, Halladay fashioned a Hall-of-Fame-worthy record. Few pitchers have ever worked with such efficient tenacity. As an opponent, Halladay seemed something other than human. He seemed something better. Humans aren’t programmed with such laser-like focus.
Halladay was the model of a professional athlete, and, from the sounds of things, he was the model of a person. He made no enemies, even out of his rivals. Those who knew him have always spoken highly. Some baseball players are said to be the most driven. Halladay actually was. Some baseball players are said to be the hardest workers. Halladay actually was. Some baseball players are said to be worth the price of admission. Halladay actually was. Halladay was everything you could possibly want, and that wasn’t a feeling shared just among fans.
I wanted to be Roy Halladay. I’m heartbroken, rest easy Doc.
— dan haren (@ithrow88) November 7, 2017
Roy Halladay was your favorite player’s favorite player. He left the game better than it was, and the same could be said of his community. Halladay was one of the special ones. You mourn the special ones. You mourn everybody, every mother and father and daughter and son, but, you mourn the special ones.
Jeff made Lookout Landing a thing, but he does not still write there about the Mariners. He does write here, sometimes about the Mariners, but usually not.
Absolutely devastating news. He was my favourite Blue Jay to watch growing up. I never did get to see him pitch live, but I always knew I was going to be able to watch his HOF induction speech. Now that won’t happen. RIP Roy, you will be missed
Jeff that was a beautiful eulogy of Roy. In an era when the Jays weren’t very good, I tried to go to every home game he pitched. He really was a special player, and its sad to see him go so young.
He was a helluva pitcher but you’re 100% right – first and foremost, the world just lost a good man
RIP, Doc
Even though I’m neither a Blue Jays or Phillies fan, I’m stunned by the news of Halladay’s death.
He was such a tough competitor and good guy by all accounts.
I’m so sad now, I’m at a loss for words. RIP Roy.
I always feel at a loss for words when a baseball player dies. I know them, mostly, through their time on the field. But the their lives outside the lines are, and I think rightfully so, something of a mystery. That’s why I’m grateful for people like Jeff Sullivan who can express my sentiments in a more eloquent fashion.
Gone too soon.
R.I.P Roy.
GBOAT
Really heartbreaking given how he seemed like a player people could look up to on and off the field. There aren’t many like Doc.
I’ll never forget the story about Mike Trout excitedly calling his dad in the middle of the night, shouting “We got Roy Halladay!”
His father thought he was talking about the Angels.
Thank you CLS. I did not know this story. Sharing for others:
http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2012/09/27/mike-trout-still-a-phillies-fan/
Well said, Jeff. Thank you.
Chase Utley:
My heart hurts writing this. I can still remember the first day we met. It was 5:45am on the first day of spring training when I arrived. He was finishing his breakfast but his clothes were soaking wet. I asked if it was raining when he got in. He laughed and said “No I just finished my workout” I knew right then- he was the real deal. Thank you Roy for allowing us to witness what it takes to be the best. We will all miss you.
Goddammit.
I feel like I’m once again mourning the premature end of his playing career, as well as his life.
Halladay had 8 years qualified for the ERA title, and in 7 of them he was an All-Star and Cy Young contender — two wins, two 2nds, a 3rd and two 5ths. He’s 9th all-time in CYA shares.
He was the last of a breed: Maybe the last guy who could make you still think that pitcher wins matter; the last to reach 60 complete games or 20 shutouts (no one else since 2000 has even 40 CG or 16 SHO); the last to log 260 IP or 36 starts in a year. What a hoss.
Thinking of all that’s changed since his heyday, I can’t help remembering his last postseason game, a 1-0 loss to ex-teammate and fellow survivor Chris Carpenter:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI201110070.shtml
— For Doc, a typically valiant effort in his last chance to reach a World Series, but his career faded fast.
— The same goes for Carpenter, who pitched the only 1-0 sudden-death game since Jack Morris in ’91, then won 3 more in the next rounds (including WSG7), then never won again …
… and for Ryan Howard, who tore his Achilles after grounding out on the last pitch of Carpenter’s 3-hit gem, and was never again a good player …
… and for the Phillies, the last of 5 straight division titles, and their last winning season to date.
Sic transit gloria. And RIP, Doc.
worth the price of admission really says it all. i can’t say i’ve felt the same way about any other player. was like watching a machine go to work, day in and day out. a machine who was also near everything you could aspire to as a man. i’ll definitely be that crotchety old-timer at the bar some day telling the kids about how he was the greatest i ever saw.
There aren’t a lot of words to describe how I’m feeling (beyond the obvious “sadness”) but I feel for the Halladays. I’m pretty sure they’re not “okay” but I hope they heal.
RIP Roy. One of the most amazing pitchers of my lifetime, and by all accounts a fantastic person, too. I will never forget the mid-to-late aughts, when I had just started watching baseball, and Halladay was the best pitcher alive. I remember watching a TOR-NYY game in 2009 and being dumbstruck that the Yankees actually scored a run off him — he was so consistently amazing during that time that I thought it was impossible for any team to beat him. As I learned more about the game I realized that’s not how pitching works — but it almost did, for Doc.
I’m from Toronto but have lived overseas for the last decade so have only had a chance to see a handful of baseball games live during that time.
I still have clear, vivid memories of the last time I saw Doc pitch live as the Toronto media was filled with trade speculation.
Of course, he threw complete game against Boston. The last thing I saw him do was, amidst a raucous standing ovation, give a wry smile, a small hat tip to the crowd, and then he disappeared into the dugout.
RIP
Roy Halladay pitched two 10-inning complete games. One of them was a shutout on 99 pitches. That’s the only extra-inning “Maddux” in the era of pitch count data.
I saw Halladay throw this 10-inning complete game against the Tigers. If I recall correctly, he had thrown 64 pitches after four innings, but ended with only 107 pitches total.
The Jays 10th-inning rally included two bunt singles directed straight at Fernando Rodney. And he was throwing 97 MPH. (Rodney was also the loser in Halladay’s other 10-inning game.)
http://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=270413114
In those perennial 3rd and 4th place finishing Blue Jays seasons between 2003 and 2008, in an era of juiced batters, in a completely dominant AL East, Roy Halladay alone kept me interested in the Blue Jays and in MLB. No one in Blue Jays history could single-handedly win games like Roy Halladay. Dave Stieb was the first Blue Jays superstar, but I have no doubt Roy Halladay is the best Blue Jays superstar. RIP Doc.
“Roy Halladay was your favorite player’s favorite player.” Absolutely right. When even Chase Utley is praising a guy for his work ethic and determination, he’s something special.
Roy Halladay pitched in the highlight game of my life, as the second best pitching performer in the game.
http://www.fangraphs.com/wins.aspx?date=2010-07-10&team=Reds&dh=0
Travis Wood, in his third major league start, took a perfect game into the ninth, knowing it couldn’t end there because Halladay tossed 9 innings of scoreless baseball on five hits. Ultimately, the Phillies won the game in extras 1-0. He managed to help the Phillies steal the win from the Reds in what was likely the greatest gem ever thrown by a rookie in his 3rd career start, against a potent Phillies lineup none the less. Probably a pretty good picture of what he accomplished over his career…always finding a way to win.
Very sad news. Lovely piece Jeff.
Just wanting to say how much I love and appreciate Roy Halladay, like we all do. He was so easy to like as a ballplayer and competitor. Seems like one of those people that would have been successful in anything he chose, because of his drive, demeanor, and passion. Although we never met and I only know of him because I am more than an avid fan and love the game, I want to say thank you Roy for the example you gave us all to inspire to be.
So long, Roy. The world is worse without you but we are all better because of you.