Roy Halladay 1977 – 2017

Roy Halladay has died in a plane crash. By all accounts, he was one of the best guys to ever put on a baseball uniform. By all accounts, he was one of the hardest working players to ever play the game.

I remember a couple of things about Roy Halladay.

Back in 2010, game one of the NLDS against the Reds; he set the tone by throwing what should have been a perfect game against the Reds. Instead it was a no-hitter. Jay Bruce drew a walk on a day that Halladay had as good of stuff as you could have, and it set the tone in that series in which that they swept a pretty good Reds club.

I also remember in that same year, Jay Bruce hit a home run off Halladay in Cincinnati; this was Halladay who was at the very top of his game, you didn’t homer off Halladay in those days. And the Reds escaped that day with an absolutely huge victory.

Every time he took the ball when he was in his prime, you knew he wasn’t losing. He retired (four years ago, it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long) with the 19th best career winning percentage in baseball history.

Detailed reports have not made their way out yet about the tragic crash that took his life, but there are some reports that his wife fought ‘very hard’ against his desire to purchase the aircraft that he died in.

It’s weird – when someone in baseball dies, even though you never met them or never knew them – I mean you spend a lot of nights with them as a baseball fan. You get a sense of their personality and what kind of person they are. Some of them you get attached to, and they’re just a comfortable part of your life and the baseball fraternity. You would like it to remain that way forever, for each and every guy.

Unfortunately life is fragile, and guys pass away. This is a horribly sad day, and our thoughts and especially prayers are with his family. I cannot even imagine this.

Thank you for the memories, Doc. Even the one where you no-hit our team in the playoffs.