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.
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.
