Roy Halladay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Roy Halladay |
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Halladay pitching for the Blue Jays in 2009
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: May 14, 1977 Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
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| Died: November 7, 2017 (aged 40) Gulf of Mexico near New Port Richey, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 20, 1998, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 23, 2013, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 203–105 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.38 | ||
| Strikeouts | 2,117 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2019 | ||
| Vote | 85.4% (first ballot) | ||
Roy Halladay (born May 14, 1977 – died November 7, 2017) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies. His career lasted from 1998 to 2013.
His nickname, "Doc," was given to him by a Blue Jays announcer. It was a reference to a famous Wild West figure, Doc Holliday. Roy Halladay was an eight-time All-Star. Many people consider him one of the best pitchers of his time. He was known for being very strong and able to pitch many full games. He led the league in complete games seven times. He also led the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio five times. He led in innings pitched four times.
Roy grew up in Colorado. The Blue Jays picked him in the 1995 MLB draft. He made his first big league appearance in 1998. He almost pitched a no-hitter in only his second game. After a tough year in 2000, he went to the minor leagues. There, he worked hard to improve his pitching style. In 2002, he became a top pitcher. He earned his first All-Star spot. The next year, he won the American League (AL) Cy Young Award. He led the AL in complete games.
He was traded to the Phillies before the 2010 season. That year was amazing for him. He pitched a perfect game. He also pitched a postseason no-hitter. This was only the second time this had happened in baseball history. He won the National League (NL) Cy Young Award that year too. In 2011, he had another great season. He led the NL in complete games. He retired after the 2013 season. He was the active leader in complete games with 67.
Roy Halladay died on November 7, 2017. He was flying his plane when it crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. He was 40 years old. Both the Blue Jays and Phillies retired his jersey numbers. In 2019, he was chosen for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Roy Halladay was born in Denver, Colorado. He grew up in Arvada. His dad was a pilot. He taught Roy to fly when he was young. Roy loved baseball from a very early age. He tried every position on the field. By age 14, he was a successful pitcher. Major league scouts started to notice him. He trained with a special baseball coach named Bus Campbell. This coach helped many good pitchers from the Denver area.
Roy went to Arvada West High School. He helped his school's baseball team win a state championship in 1994. After high school in 1995, the Toronto Blue Jays picked him. He was the 17th player chosen in the draft. Roy decided to sign with Toronto. He gave up his plan to play college baseball at Arizona. He joined the major league team in September 1998.
Professional Baseball Career
Toronto Blue Jays (1998–2009)
Early Years and Big Improvements
In his second game ever, on September 27, 1998, Roy almost pitched a no-hitter. He was playing against the Detroit Tigers. With two outs in the ninth inning, a batter hit a home run. This was the only hit he allowed. He won his first major league game 2–1.
The year 2000 was tough for Halladay. His earned run average (ERA) was very high. He was sent to the minor leagues in 2001. There, he worked with a coach named Mel Queen. Roy's fastball was fast but did not move much. His pitches were often too high. Mel Queen helped him change how he threw the ball. He learned to throw pitches that sank and moved. He also started using a "three-quarters" delivery. This meant he threw from a middle arm angle. He focused on keeping his pitches low. These changes helped him a lot. He quickly moved back to the Blue Jays. In 2001, he had a 5–3 record with a 3.19 ERA.
Becoming an All-Star Pitcher
In 2002, Roy had a fantastic season. He finished with 19 wins and 7 losses. His ERA was 2.93. He struck out 168 batters. He was chosen for his first American League All-Star team.
He continued to be great in 2003. He had 22 wins and 7 losses. His ERA was 3.25. He struck out 204 batters and only walked 32. This was a very good strikeout-to-walk ratio. He won the American League Cy Young Award. This award goes to the best pitcher. He was also an All-Star again. His team, the Blue Jays, won 86 games. Other players and sports writers also named him the best pitcher.
In 2004, Roy had some shoulder problems. He was on the disabled list twice. He later said his arm was tired all season. This was from working out too hard.
The 2005 season started well for him. He had 12 wins and 4 losses. He was chosen for his third All-Star team. He was supposed to start the All-Star Game. But on July 8, a hard hit ball broke his leg. He could not play for the rest of the season. In 2006, he signed a new contract. He won 16 games that year. He was an All-Star for the fourth time. He led the league in complete games and innings pitched.
Leading the Blue Jays
In April 2007, Roy was named the best pitcher of the month. He won 4 games and had a 10-inning complete game. But in May, he had to have an appendectomy. He came back strong on May 31. He earned his 100th career win. In 2007, he also got his first career RBI (run batted in).
In 2008, Roy was the Blue Jays' opening day pitcher for the sixth time. This was a team record. He had many complete games that year. On June 20, a line drive hit him in the head. He was okay, but he left the game. He pitched his 10th career shutout on June 30. He was named an All-Star again. In his last game of the season, he won his 20th game. He finished second in the Cy Young Award voting. He led the AL with nine complete games. He also struck out a career-high 206 batters.
On April 6, 2009, Roy started his seventh straight Opening Day for Toronto. He won his first three games. He then won six more games in a row. He had an 8–1 record with a 2.75 ERA. He struck out 14 batters in one game. This was a career high. He was chosen for the All-Star Game again. He started the game for the American League. Sports Illustrated named him one of the top five pitchers of the decade. He finished the season with 17 wins and 10 losses.
Philadelphia Phillies (2010–2013)
On December 15, 2009, the Blue Jays traded Roy to the Philadelphia Phillies. He signed a new contract with them.
Amazing 2010 Season
On Opening Day 2010, Roy pitched well for the Phillies. He got his first win with the team. He also got his second career RBI. On April 11, he pitched a complete game. He allowed only one unearned run. He pitched his first shutout in the National League on April 21. He was the first pitcher to get four wins that season. On May 1, he pitched his second shutout.
On September 21, Roy became the first Phillies pitcher to win 20 games since 1982. A week later, he got his 21st win. This helped the Phillies win their division title.
Roy made his first ever postseason start on October 6, 2010. He pitched a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds. He allowed only one walk. This was only the second postseason no-hitter in MLB history. The first was in the 1956 World Series. Roy became the first pitcher to throw a perfect game and another no-hitter in the same year.
The Phillies won their series against the Reds. They moved on to play the San Francisco Giants. Roy started two games against Tim Lincecum. He won one game, but the Phillies lost the series. Roy hurt his groin in Game 5 but kept pitching.
Roy won the 2010 National League Cy Young Award. Everyone voted for him. He was the first Phillie to win it since 1987. He was also only the fifth pitcher to win the award in both leagues. He won many other awards that year. He finished the 2010 season with 21 wins and 10 losses. His ERA was 2.44. He had 219 strikeouts. He led the National League in wins, innings pitched, and complete games.
Perfect Game
On May 29, 2010, Roy Halladay pitched the 20th perfect game in MLB history. He was playing against the Florida Marlins. He got every single batter out. He struck out 11 batters. He allowed no hits, no runs, no walks, and no errors. This was a very rare event. It was the first time two perfect games happened in the same month in modern baseball.
To celebrate, Roy bought about 60 special watches. He gave them to everyone in the clubhouse. The watches had a message: "We did it together. Thanks, Roy Halladay." They also had the game's date and score.
Postseason No-Hitter
On October 6, 2010, Roy pitched his second no-hitter of the season. This happened in his first ever postseason game. He was playing against the Cincinnati Reds. He became only the second pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the postseason. The other was Don Larsen in the 1956 World Series. Roy allowed only one walk.
This was the first time a pitcher threw a perfect game and another no-hitter in the same year. Fans voted his no-hitter as the "Postseason Moment of the Year."
2011 Season
In 2011, Roy was joined by another great pitcher, Cliff Lee. The Phillies had a very strong group of starting pitchers. Fans and media called them the "Phantastic Phour."
On April 24, 2011, Roy struck out 14 batters. He allowed only five hits. He won the game 3–1. In May, he won the John Wanamaker Athletic Award. In June, he won the Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY Award. He also won the Best Moment ESPY Award for his postseason no-hitter.
On July 12, Roy started the All-Star Game for the National League. He finished the 2011 season with 19 wins and 6 losses. His ERA was 2.35. He pitched eight complete games. The Phillies won their division again. They also had the best record in baseball.
Roy started two games in the playoffs against the St. Louis Cardinals. He won Game 1. But he lost Game 5, 1–0, to his friend Chris Carpenter. Roy pitched Game 5 even though his back hurt. The Phillies lost the series. This was Roy's last time in the playoffs. Roy finished second in the NL Cy Young voting.
Later Seasons and Retirement
On April 5, 2012, Roy pitched eight shutout innings on Opening Day. He allowed only two hits. On May 29, he hurt his shoulder. He was placed on the disabled list. This was his first time on the DL since 2009. He said he wanted to finish his career with the Phillies. He hoped to win a World Series with them. He returned in July. On July 29, he got his 2,000th strikeout. He was the 67th pitcher in MLB history to reach this. Even with his injury, he finished the season with 11 wins and 8 losses.
In 2013, Roy struggled in his first few games. On April 14, he pitched eight innings and allowed only one run. He got his 200th career win in that game. On May 5, he had a very tough game. He gave up nine runs in a short time. The next day, he went back on the disabled list. He had surgery on his shoulder. He returned to play in August. He finished the season with a 4–5 record. His ERA was 6.82.
Retirement from Baseball
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| Roy Halladay's number 34 was retired by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021. |
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| Roy Halladay's number 32 was retired by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018. |
On December 9, 2013, Roy Halladay signed a special one-day contract with the Blue Jays. He then announced he was retiring from baseball. He said he had a back injury. He also wanted to spend more time with his family.
Even after retiring, Roy stayed involved in baseball. He was a guest instructor for the Phillies and Blue Jays. In 2017, the Phillies hired him as a "mental skills coach." He also coached baseball at his son's high school.
How Roy Pitched
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Roy Halladay was known for his strong two-seam sinking fastball. It was very fast and he could put it exactly where he wanted. He also threw a four-seam fastball, a curveball, and a cut fastball. He changed his grip on his cutter in 2007. This made it even better. He threw the fastest cutter among MLB pitchers in 2011.
Roy was very good at striking out batters. He also got many batters to hit ground balls. This helped him get out of tough situations. He often led the league in innings pitched and complete games. He was also among the best in WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) and ERA.
Before and during each game, Roy had a special routine. He would go into "isolation mode." He would focus completely on planning every pitch. He would not talk to anyone except his manager or pitching coach. He would not even talk to teammates or the media until the game was over.
Personal Life and Charity Work
Roy Halladay had two sons, Braden and Ryan, with his wife, Brandy. During the off-season, his family lived in Florida. His older son, Braden, decided to play baseball at Penn State. Braden was born in Toronto. He was drafted by the Blue Jays in 2019. This was a tribute to his father.
When Roy played for the Blue Jays, he and his wife invited children and their families from a hospital to games. They had a special "Doc's Box" suite at the stadium. Roy also gave $100,000 each year to the Jays Care Foundation.
Roy was often nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award. This award honors players who do good work in their communities. He was also nominated for the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award. This was for his work with children.
Roy Halladay was on the cover of the video game Major League Baseball 2K11.
Death and Legacy
On November 7, 2017, Roy Halladay died. He was flying his ICON A5 plane. It crashed into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida. He was the only person in the plane.
After his death, the Phillies announced they would not use his uniform number 34 for the 2018 season. On March 29, 2018, the Toronto Blue Jays retired his number 32. This means no other Blue Jays player will wear that number. On August 8, 2021, the Philadelphia Phillies also retired his number 34.
Roy Halladay was chosen for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017. On January 22, 2019, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. This was his first year of being eligible. His wife and sons decided not to choose a team logo for his Hall of Fame cap. However, Roy had said he would want to be inducted as a Blue Jay.
In 2019, Bryce Harper joined the Phillies. He used to wear number 34. But he chose to wear number 3 instead. He said that Roy Halladay should be the last one to wear number 34 for the Phillies.
On May 14, 2021, which would have been Roy's 44th birthday, a special baseball field was named after him. It is called Roy Halladay Field. It is in Toronto. This field is for kids with disabilities to play baseball.
Images for kids
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Halladay with Don Larsen, the only two pitchers to throw solo postseason no-hitters in MLB history
