MLB
After retiring after the 2013 season, Roy “Doc” Halladay was eligible for the first time in 2019 for the Baseball Writers Association of America Hall of Fame vote. Halladay’s induction is posthumous, since the hurler died tragically in a plane crash in November, 2017.
The Case
Roy Halladay was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round of the 1995 MLB draft. He was the 17th overall pick. Halladay played for Toronto starting in 1998, and was traded to Philadelphia following the 2009 season. He played for the Phillies for 4 years. With them he threw a perfect game and a postseason no-hitter in 2010. He also won his second Cy Young award that year, his first having come with the Jays in 2003. His career record is 203-105. His career ERA is 3.38 and he has 2,117 strikeouts.
Halladay was an eight-time All-Star and two-time MLB wins leader (2003, 2010) in addition to his two Cy Young awards. He is also already a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 2017.
Toronto Blue Jays
Halladay was a source of hope and light for Blue Jays fans during his tenure here. Although the team playing behind him could only generously be called mediocre, Halladay was a star and it was a pleasure to watch him pitch once every five days. His off-field activities and charity work made him beloved in the city in general, not just among baseball fans. In 2013, Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Jays so he could retire a Blue Jay after being traded away four years previously.
In 2018, following Halladay’s tragic death, the Blue Jays announced they would retire Doc’s number 32 in an Opening Day ceremony. It was a good way for fans to pay their respects and say their goodbyes and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Along with the number retirement comes enshrinement on the Blue Jays’ Level of Excellence. He appears with his number next to Roberto Alomar, the only other Jay to have his number retired by the club. Halladay also appears on the Phillies’ Wall of Fame.
Written by Susannah Schmidt
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Photo credit to sarahkatherinegreen via Flickr
