“And the Phillies, again, celebrate around Roy Halladay!” – Phillies radio commentator, Scott Franzke, makes the call after Roy Halladay completed his second no-hitter (the first being a perfect game against the Marlins) of the season. This was Halladay’s first ever postseason game and he threw a no-hitter. It was only the second time anyone had thrown a no-no in the playoffs. This is a memory that’ll forever be remembered by Phillies fans and baseball fans alike. Roy Halladay was a breed of pitcher unlike no other.

     Halladay had a work ethic that no one could match, whilst maintaining a beloved personality on and off the field. He passed away Tuesday, Nov. 7, after a tragic plane crash. He got his pilot’s license back in 2014, after his retirement from baseball. He was flying a plane he had gotten just a month ago, a small two-seat plane. It crashed in the Gulf of Mexico and Halladay was the only one in the plane. The pitching great was only 40, leaving behind a wife and two kids.

     To baseball fans, he was a dominant pitcher that could get the job done whenever he was called upon. Halladay was an eight-time All-Star and a two-time Cy-Young award winner. He threw 67 complete games in his career, which led active MLB pitchers when Halladay retired in 2013. With 203 career wins and a 3.38 lifetime ERA, along with 2,117 Strikeouts, he is a lock to be immortalized in the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame. He is one of only 23 pitchers to throw a perfect game in his career.

     By Phillies and Blue Jays fans alike, Halladay was a leader, a workhorse, an automatic win every start. He was always up for a tough challenge. The majority of the time, he succeeded. Halladay was so beloved by both the Toronto and Philadelphia fanbases because he was not only a great pitcher, but a great person too. Halladay took time out for the fans. He called press conferences to apologize to fans that he got injured. He would text Phillies’ front office members to say he was sorry if he had a bad outing. No one does that.

     On the day of his demise, many former teammates and players honored Halladay on social media. Every single person proclaimed how much better Halladay made them, or how he brought so much joy to their teams. Former Phillies pitcher and current Texas Ranger Cole Hamels spoke about his old teammate, saying “He has left such an impression. Not only to me, but to a lot of us, and a lot of the kids coming up in this game today.”

     Roy Halladay was truly a person for someone to admire, bringing joy to so many. The impact was surely felt on Tuesday in Philadelphia, and even here in Bloomsburg. From the support shown on social media and in the news, its clear that Halladay was a special person, both on and off the field. There are not enough people in baseball like Halladay, making this story that much more tragic.

     We at the voice certainly want to extend our condolences to the Halladay family, the former teammates & coaches of Halladay, and the Phillies & Blue Jays organizations as they mourn the loss.  

      Taken from us way too soon, but certainly not forgotten. Thanks, Doc, for everything.
 

 
Halladay spent the bulk of his career with the  Blue Jays, but his most memorable work was in Philly as a member of the World Series-Winning Phillies.