Former MLB Pitcher Roy Halladay, 40, Dies in Plane Crash in Gulf of Mexico
In his second career start, against the Detroit Tigers on September 27, 1998, Halladay had what would have been the third no-hitter ever pitched on the final day of a regular season broken up with two outs in the ninth. The feat would have joined the combined no-hitter by four Oakland Athletics pitchers (Vida Blue, Glenn Abbott, Paul Lindblad, and Rollie Fingers) in 1975 and Mike Witt's perfect game in 1984. The bid was broken up by pinch hitter Bobby Higginson's solo home run, the only hit allowed in a 2–1 Toronto victory, as he recorded his first major league win. Prior to the home run, the sole base runner had reached on an infield error in the fifth inning, as Halladay struck out eight and walked none.
During the 2000 season, Halladay sported a 10.64 earned run average (ERA) in 19 games, 13 of which he started, making his 2000 season the worst in history for any pitcher with at least fifty innings pitched. At the beginning of the 2001 season, Halladay was optioned to Class A Dunedin to rebuild his delivery.
Halladay's fastball was clocked up to 95 mph (153 km/h), but it had little movement, and his pitches were up in the strike zone, which was ultimately the reason why his 2000 season was so unsuccessful. He worked with former Blue Jays pitching coach Mel Queen. The problem, Queen realized, was Halladay's total reliance on his strength—his attempt to overpower batters with straight-ahead pitches. Within two weeks, Halladay had altered his arm angle for a more deceptive delivery, and added pitches that sank and careened.
In 2001, after being demoted to the minor leagues, Halladay immersed himself in the works of sports psychologist Harvey Dorfman. This exposure was at least partly responsible for resurrecting his career.[10][22] In 2002, Halladay had a breakout season, finishing with a 19–7 record, while posting a 2.93 ERA with 168 strikeouts in 239.1 innings. Halladay was named to the American League All-Star team.
Halladay continued his success in the 2003 season, posting a 22–7 record with a 3.25 ERA in 266 innings. He also recorded 204 strikeouts and only 32 walks, good for a 6.38 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Halladay pitched the first extra-inning shutout in the major leagues since Jack Morris in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, leading the Blue Jays to victory over the Tigers on September 6. He pitched 10 innings and had not allowed a hit until Kevin Witt doubled with two outs in the top of the eighth. Halladay won the American League Cy Young Award, while being once again named an All-Star and leading the Blue Jays to a surprising 86 victories. He was named by his peers as the Players Choice Awards AL Outstanding Pitcher. He was also named the Sporting News AL Pitcher of the Year and the Baseball Prospectus Internet Baseball Awards AL Cy Young Award winner.
In 2004, Halladay was placed on the disabled list twice due to right shoulder problems. In 133.0 innings, he went 8–8 with a 4.20 ERA. He walked 39 batters, seven more than he had walked in 2003 when he had pitched twice as many innings. He later revealed that he had been injured throughout the entire season with a "tired throwing arm", which he believed was from intense workouts in the preseason.
The 2005 season began successfully for Halladay, as he posted a 12–4 record with a 2.41 ERA in 19 starts. He was selected to his third All-Star team and was slated to be the starting pitcher for the American League at the All-Star Game in Detroit. However, on July 8, Halladay's leg was broken by a line drive off the bat of Texas Rangers left fielder Kevin Mench. As a result, he was replaced in the All-Star Game by Matt Clement of the Boston Red Sox, while Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox was named the starting pitcher for the American League. Despite rehabilitation of his leg, Halladay would sit out the remainder of the season.
On March 16, 2006, Halladay signed a $40 million three-year contract extension through 2010. During that year, Halladay finished near the top of the MLB in wins with 16. He was named to the American League All-Star Team as a reserve on July 3, along with four of his Blue Jays teammates. It marked the second-most appearances in club history, and Halladay's fourth as an All-Star. Although Halladay's strikeout total was lower in 2006 than in previous seasons, his ground ball/fly ball ratio, complete games, and innings pitched were all among the American League leaders.
In 2008, for the sixth consecutive year, Halladay was Toronto's opening-day starter, improving his own club record. He lost 3–2 in a pitcher's duel with New York's Chien-Ming Wang. His first win of the season came in his next start against Boston, when he outpitched Josh Beckett in his season debut.
In his third start, Halladay pitched a complete game against the Texas Rangers, in a 4–1 win. Three of his nine complete-game efforts resulted in losses due to Toronto's underachieving offense early in the season. In fact, those three complete-game losses came in three consecutive starts. On June 20 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he was struck in the temple by a line drive off the bat of Nyjer Morgan. The ball caromed off Halladay's head and was caught by third baseman Scott Rolen, ending the inning. Halladay was able to walk back to the dugout, but was taken out of the game for safety concerns. Although he was given a clean bill of health for his next start, it was later suggested by television commentators that Halladay may have in fact suffered a temporary lapse in recognition of what happened on the play. Halladay pitched his 10th career shutout against the Seattle Mariners on June 30. He limited them to four hits in his sixth complete game of the season. The shutout tied him with the Cardinals' Mark Mulder for 10th among active pitchers. On July 11, 2008, Halladay pitched his 7th complete game and second shutout of the season against the New York Yankees, allowing 0 runs on 2 hits for his 38th career complete game. Halladay was named to the American League All-Star Team as a reserve. He pitched in the fourth inning, yielding only one hit and striking out Lance Berkman. In his last start of the season, he fittingly pitched a complete game against the Yankees to win his 20th game of the year. In so doing, he became the first pitcher to win five games against the Yankees in a single season since Luis Tiant in 1974. In addition, he led the AL with a 1.05 WHIP. Halladay finished second in the American League Cy Young Award voting, behind Cliff Lee of Cleveland. He also led the AL with 9 complete games, and struck out a career-high 206 batters (two more than his 2003 season) as well as posting a 2.78 ERA (the second-best of his career) that was second only to Cliff Lee's 2.54 ERA. Halladay also became just the fourth pitcher in major league history to post two seasons of 200 strikeouts and fewer than 40 walks. He was presented the George Gross/Toronto Sun Sportsperson of the Year award.
On April 6, 2009, Halladay made his team-record seventh straight Opening Day start for Toronto, defeating the Detroit Tigers. Halladay then also won his next two starts, on the road against Cleveland and Minnesota. Halladay lost his next game to Texas, giving up 5 earned runs over 8 innings only to go on and win his next 6 games to bring his record up to 8–1 with a 2.75 ERA. With season-ending injuries to planned 2009 Jays' starters Dustin McGowan and Shawn Marcum, and with #2 starter Jesse Litsch on the disabled list early in the season, Halladay led a staff of young, mostly inexperienced starters.
On December 15, 2009, the Blue Jays traded Halladay to the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league prospects Travis d'Arnaud, Kyle Drabek, and Michael Taylor. He agreed to a contract extension worth US$60 million that included a US$20 million vesting option for a fourth season. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. had unsuccessfully attempted to get Halladay at the non-waiver trade deadline in July 2009, then traded for Cliff Lee instead. Three hours before Halladay signed the contract extension, Amaro traded away Lee, to the surprise of Halladay who thought that Lee would be his teammate.
On Opening Day, Halladay pitched seven innings while giving up a run against the Washington Nationals in his first game with the Phillies. He had nine strikeouts and allowed six hits. He also drove in his second career RBI and earned his first win of the season. He followed this start with a complete game on April 11 against the Houston Astros, giving up one unearned run while striking out eight and not giving up any walks in the Phillies' 2–1 victory.
Halladay pitched his first shutout in the National League, against the Atlanta Braves on April 21, becoming the first pitcher to reach four wins in the 2010 season. On May 1, Halladay pitched his second shutout of the season, limiting the New York Mets to three hits and striking out six.
On September 21, Halladay became the first Phillies pitcher to win 20 games in a season since Steve Carlton accomplished it in 1982. He was the first right-handed Phillies pitcher to accomplish the feat since Robin Roberts in 1955. One week later, on September 27, he completed his 21st victory, helping the Phillies clinch their fourth consecutive National League East title, and the Phillies finished with the best regular-season record in MLB.
Halladay made his first postseason start in Game One of the National League Division Series, as the Phillies squared off against the Cincinnati Reds. Halladay threw a no-hitter, giving up only one walk (to Jay Bruce in the fifth inning) in a 4–0 victory where he threw 104 pitches. Halladay's was only the second postseason no-hitter in Major League Baseball history, and the first since Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series. Halladay become the first pitcher in Major League history to throw a perfect game and another no-hitter in the same calendar year (including the postseason).
The Phillies swept the Reds in three games to advance to their third consecutive National League Championship Series, where they faced the San Francisco Giants. Halladay started Games One and Five, which were one of the most touted postseason pitching match-ups in recent history as he faced another former Cy Young winner in both games, Tim Lincecum. Halladay lost Game One 4–3 and won Game Five 4–2, as the Phillies were eliminated in six games by the Giants, who went on to win the World Series. In Game Five, Halladay pulled his groin after the first inning but continued for six more innings to help his team stave off elimination.
Halladay was named by his peers as the Players Choice Awards NL Outstanding Pitcher. He was also unanimously chosen as the recipient of the 2010 National League Cy Young Award, becoming the first Phillie to win the award since Steve Bedrosian in 1987 and only the fifth pitcher in MLB history to win the award in both leagues, joining Gaylord Perry, Pedro Martínez, Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens. He was likewise selected as the Sporting News NL Pitcher of the Year, the USA Today NL Cy Young, the Baseball Prospectus Internet Baseball Awards NL Cy Young, and the winner of the NLBM Wilbur "Bullet" Rogan Legacy Award (NL Pitcher of the Year). He also was named the MLB "This Year in Baseball Awards" Starting Pitcher of the Year. Baseball Digest named him its Pitcher of the Year (including both leagues). Baseball America named him its Major League Player of the Year (including all positions in both leagues). MLB named him its "MLB Clutch Performer of the Year". He was given the Heart & Hustle Award by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association. He was also named Pro Athlete of the Year by both the Sporting News and the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association and Sportsperson of the Year by the Philadelphia Daily News. The Philadelphia chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America presented him with the "Steve Carlton Most Valuable Pitcher" and "Dallas Green Special Achievement" awards.
In 250+2⁄3 innings pitched, Halladay finished the 2010 regular season with a 21–10 record and a 2.44 ERA, setting a career high with 219 strikeouts while issuing just 30 walks. He led the National League in wins, innings pitched, and complete games (9), including 4 shutouts. He became just the seventh pitcher in the history of Major League baseball to pitch 250 or more innings with 30 or fewer walks, the first pitcher to do so since Grover Cleveland Alexander in 1923 with the Chicago Cubs.
Gord Ash, Tim Johnson, Dan Shulman, Buck Martinez, Jerry Howarth, Tom Cheek, Benito Santiago, Darrin Fletcher, Paul Quantrill, Pat Hentgen, Chris Carpenter, Dave Stieb, Dan Plesac, Tony Phillips, Randy Myers, Roger Clemens, Erik Hanson, Woody Williams, Tony Fernández, Ed Sprague, Alex Gonzalez, Shannon Stewart, Mike Stanley, Carlos Delgado, Juan Samuel, Shawn Green, José Cruz Jr., Jose Canseco, Jim Fregosi, David Wells, David Segui, Homer Bush, Tony Batista, Mike Matheny, Brian McRae, Vernon Wells, Dave Hollins, Lloyd Moseby, Esteban Loaiza, Mickey Morandini, Steve Trachsel, Marty Cordova, Kelvim Escobar, Frank Castillo, Brad Fullmer, Gary Matthews, Pat Tabler, Cito Gaston, Ryan Freel, Raúl Mondesí, J. P. Ricciardi, Carlos Tosca, Felipe López, Orlando Hudson, Cory Lidle, Paul Godfrey, Gregg Zaun, Alex Ríos, Ted Lilly, Miguel Batista, Reed Johnson, John Gibbons, Rance Mulliniks, Shea Hillenbrand, Pat Tabler, Rod Black, Troy Glaus, B. J. Ryan, Bengie Molina, A. J. Burnett, Eric Hinske, Jesse Barfield, Lyle Overbay, Frank Thomas, Matt Stairs, Shawn Marcum, Scott Rolen, José Bautista, David Eckstein, Aaron Hill, Edwin Encarnación, Kevin Millar, Adam Lind, Ricky Romero, Alan Ashby, Paul Beeston, Ted Rogers, John Buck, Jamie Campbell, Bill Giles, David Montgomery, Charlie Manuel, Rubén Amaro Jr., Jamie Moyer, Carlos Ruiz, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Raúl Ibañez, Mike Sweeney, Plácido Polanco, Brad Lidge, Danys Báez, Vance Worley, Cliff Lee, Hunter Pence, José Contreras, Carlos Ruiz, Brandon Moss, Jim Thome, Ty Wigginton, Jonathan Papelbon, Freddy Galvis, Rich Dubee, Ryne Sandberg, Wally Joyner, Michael Young, Kyle Kendrick and César Hernández.
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