Blue Jays
RIP Roy Halladay: One of The Greats of The Game Will Be Deeply Missed
One of the Greats of the Game will be deeply missed.
Image Source: 6abc.com
On Tuesday, 2-time Cy Young Award winner and 8-time All Star, Roy Halladay died in a plane crash off the coast of Central Florida. Halladay was an avid pilot, and stated in an interview last March that he had accrued approximately 800 hours in the air.
In his career, the future Hall of Famer, who retired after the 2013 season, was a 3-time 20-game winner who amassed 203 wins, with a career 3.38 ERA in 16 MLB season combined with the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies.
The sudden loss has caught everyone by surprise and around the league many shared their deepest condolences and fond memories of Halladay.
Statement from MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred:
“All of us at Baseball are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic passing of former Toronto Blue Jaysand Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay. A well-respected figure throughout the game, Roy was a fierce competitor during his 16-year career, which included eight All-Star selections, two Cy Young Awards, a perfect game and a postseason no-hitter.
“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to his family, including his wife, Brandy, and two sons, Ryan and Braden, his friends and countless fans, as well as the Blue Jays and Phillies organizations.”
Statement from the Phillies:
“There are no words to describe the sadness that the entire Phillies family is feeling over the loss of one of the most respected human beings to ever play the game.
Statement from the Blue Jays:
“The Toronto Blue Jays organization is overcome by grief with the tragic loss of one of the franchise’s greatest and most respected players, but even better human being. It is impossible to express what he has meant to this franchise, the city and its fans. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”
Comments from former teammates:
“In order to be great at something, you have to have mentors, and he was one for me. I watched from afar with being here and him being in Toronto. We got to see him pitch in spring training and then watching during the season; he was the greatest of that decade, he was the greatest pitcher. You wanted to watch him, see how he attacked hitters. What was he doing different, why was he so great? Then to finally play catch with him and see he had a purpose. Behind everything he did, he had a purpose.”
“You have very small, short moments in life to do something great, so you have to maximize it, and he did. He made everybody better. I think that is what you noticed. Wasn’t just Roy Halladay is coming into pitch. Roy Halladay brought a team with him to win. He made everyone rise up to the best of their abilities. What he did here was something special. You didn’t miss those moments when he pitched. When you had Roy Halladay on the mound, you didn’t miss an inning, you didn’t miss a pitch. You were watching every moment.”
“Such a sad day. We lost a great ball player but an even better human being. Many prayers to Brandy, Ryan, & Brayden. We will miss you Roy.”
“Roy was one of the greatest pitchers I ever caught, and an even better person and friend. I wanted to win more for him than myself. I will miss him very much. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones and all those, like me, who truly admired him.”
Halladay is survived by his wife Brandy and two boys, Ryan and Brayden.
It’s a sad day in baseball and from our team here at Legends on Deck we send our condolences to the Halladay family, the Phillies, Blue Jays and all of baseball. Such a tragic loss of a man that brought so many smiles to the game. Thank you Roy Halladay for the great memories.
R.I.P Doc.
David Conde
David is the Co-Founder and Executive Editor of Legends On Deck®, as well as a Co-Host on Legends On Deck Podcast. David was a Senior Editor for MetsMerizedOnline.com, MetsMinors.net and Contributor for Hardballchat.com that spanned from 2010 to 2014. David made his MLB Debut as a writer in June 2014, while covering the NY Mets at Citi Field, for MetsmerizedOnline.com. David also coaches baseball for ages 13-15, a Babe Ruth League team in his local community. David's passion is coaching the game he loves to the future Legends of Tomorrow as well as making available a website that people can have fun sharing and reading. David is also passionate about his career as a Mortgage Loan Officer which allows him to help many families reach their dreams of owning a home. Connect with David via his Social Media pages as he loves to chat all about baseball.
You must be logged in to post a comment.