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Harry Leroy Halladay III (May 14, 1977 – November 7, 2017), better known as Roy Halladay, was an American professional baseball starting pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies between 1998 and 2013.

Professional career

Draft and minor leagues (1995–1998)

The Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB) selected Halladay in the first round, 17th overall, of the 1995 MLB Draft. Halladay, who had previously committed to playing college baseball with the Arizona Wildcats, instead accepted the Blue Jays' offer, which came with an $895,000 signing bonus. He began his professional baseball career with the Rookie-level GCL Blue Jays of the Gulf Coast League. In 10 games there, including eight starts, Halladay went 3–5 with a 3.40 ERA. In 50+1⁄3 innings pitched, Halladay struck out 48 batters and walked 16. The following year, he joined the Class A-Advanced Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League, serving as the No. 2 starting pitcher behind Mike Gordon. The 1996 season proved to be a breakout for Halladay, who had a 2.62 ERA, 11 wins, and two complete game shutouts by the end of July. He made 27 appearances that season for Dunedin, all starts, during which he went 15–7 with a 2.73 ERA and struck out 109 batters in 164+2⁄3 innings. At the end of the season, Halladay was named both a Florida State League All-Star and Dunedin's most valuable player.

Halladay was invited to the Blue Jays' spring training in 1997, where he watched Roger Clemens and Pat Hentgen pitch before returning to minor league training camp in March. Although Toronto's front office was impressed with Halladay's potential, they wanted to keep him in the minor leagues throughout the 1997 season in large part to protect him from that year's MLB expansion draft. Instead, he opened the season as the team ace for the Double-A Knoxville Smokies of the Southern League. His tenure in Knoxville was brief: after going 2-3 with a 5.40 ERA in seven starts and striking out 30 batters in 36+2⁄3 innings, Halladay was promoted to the Triple-A Syracuse SkyChiefs on May 14, his 20th birthday, after Chris Carpenter was promoted to the major leagues. His first three International League starts were uncharacteristically poor, with Halladay allowing a total of 17 earned runs and recording a 9.37 ERA in the process, but he found his stride at the end of May, allowing only four hits and one inside-the-park home run in seven innings. His first Triple-A win came on June 25, when he allowed only four hits over seven innings in a 6-0 combined shutout of the Charlotte Knights. Halladay finished the season with a 7-10 record and 4.58 ERA in 22 International League starts, as well as 64 strikeouts in 125+2⁄3 innings.

Considered a longshot to join the Blue Jays for Opening Day of the 1998 season, Halladay started the season in Syracuse, and when Clemens suffered an injury within a week of the season opener, Toronto decided to reactivate Erik Hanson from the disabled list rather than bring up Halladay, not wanting to impede the young pitcher's development with a brief call-up.

• 1998 Syracuse SkyChiefs

Toronto Blue Jays (1998–2009)

Halladay pitching for Toronto in 2006

1998

The Blue Jays called Halladay up from Syracuse at the end of the season, and he made his major league debut on September 20, 1998, allowing two runs on eight hits while striking out five batters in five innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. His second major league start came a week later, on September 27; Chris Carpenter had originally been scheduled to start, but as Toronto had already been eliminated from playoff contention, manager Tim Johnson and pitching coach Mel Queen decided to give Halladay the start instead. While facing down the Detroit Tigers, Halladay came within one out of pitching a no-hitter before pinch hitter Bobby Higginson hit a solo home run with two outs in the ninth inning. Prior to the run, the only base runner that Toronto allowed was Tony Clark, who reached on a fifth-inning error from second baseman Felipe Crespo. Halladay earned his first major-league win in the 2–1 season finale.

2001

Halladay pitching for Toronto in 2008

2004

Halladay began to show inflammation in his right shoulder at the start of June, enough that he was scratched from a scheduled June 3 start and was replaced by Jason Kershner.

2005

Halladay pitching for Toronto in 2009

Philadelphia Phillies (2010–13)

2010

Halladay pitching for Philadelphia in 2010

Postseason no-hitter

The Cardinals ultimately took the NLDS in five games, with Halladay taking the loss in the elimination game. He was outpitched by his former Toronto teammate Chris Carpenter, who allowed only three hits in St. Louis' 1-0 shutout victory.

2011

Halladay pitching for Philadelphia in 2011

2012

Halladay pitching for Philadelphia in 2012

2013

Prior to the 2013 MLB season, Halladay struggled during spring training, with questions about his arm strength and command arising as he allowed 21 hits in 16+1⁄3 Grapefruit League innings. He remained in the rotation nonetheless, opening the season by throwing 95 pitches and allowing five earned runs in a span of only 3+1⁄3 innings against the Braves. He showed a return to form in his third start of the season, cutting his ERA from 14.73 to 7.63 with an eight-inning performance against the Marlins. Halladay picked up his 200th career win with the 2–1 game as Jonathan Papelbon secured the save for the Phillies.

Retirement

On December 9, 2013, Halladay announced his retirement from baseball, citing his frustration with the shoulder injuries that had plagued his last two seasons. He signed a ceremonial one-day contract with the Blue Jays, enabling Halladay to officially retire as a member of the team that drafted him. He finished his MLB career with 203 wins, 2,117 strikeouts, and a 3.38 lifetime ERA.

Player profile

In 2008, Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera showed Halladay how he gripped his cutter by tracing his hand onto a baseball.

Career highlights

Honors

The Phillies retired Halladay's No. 34 on August 8, 2021, with a ceremony at Citizens Bank Park.

On February 12, 2018, the Blue Jays announced that they would retire Halladay's No. 32 jersey on opening day of the 2018 MLB season. He was the second member of the Blue Jays to have his jersey number retired, following No. 12 Roberto Alomar.

Upon news of Halladay's death, the Phillies announced that no member of their organization would wear his No. 34 jersey during the 2018 MLB season. Catcher Andrew Knapp, who had been assigned No. 34 out of spring training in 2017, switched to his college baseball No. 15 instead. When the Phillies acquired Bryce Harper from the Washington Nationals in 2019, Harper, who had worn No. 34 during his entire professional baseball career, announced that he would be wearing No. 3 with the Phillies out of respect for Halladay, who he believed "should be the last one to wear it [in Philadelphia]". The Phillies intended to formally retire No. 34 on May 29, 2020, the tenth anniversary of his perfect game. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the start of the 2020 MLB season, the retirement ceremony was postponed until August 8, 2021. The ceremony was attended by many of Halladay's former Phillies teammates, including Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, and his longtime batterymate Carlos Ruiz, while retired outfielder Raúl Ibañez delivered a speech at Citizens Bank Park. Halladay's widow and children planned to be in attendance, but could not travel after a family member received a positive COVID-19 test. In addition to retiring Halladay's number, the Phillies unveiled a No. 34 statue by the third base gate and placed Halladay's name and number on a memorial wall in center field.

Halladay's widow is presented with his Baseball Hall of Fame plaque at his 2019 induction ceremony.

Awards

Roy Halladay's number 34 was retired by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021.

Roy Halladay's number 32 was retired by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018.

Statistical highlights

• Led League
  • Innings pitched (2002, 2003, 2008, 2010)
  • Wins (2003, 2010)
  • WHIP (2008)

• League Top–Ten
  • Strikeouts (2002, 2003, 2008–11)
  • Earned run average (2002, 2003, 2006, 2008–11)
  • Innings pitched (2002, 2003, 2006–11)
  • Wins (2002, 2003, 2006–11)
  • WHIP (2003, 2006, 2008–11)

References

Bibliography

• Zolecki, Todd (2020). Doc: The Life of Roy Halladay. Chicago, IL: Triumph Books. ISBN 978-1-62937-750-6.