Roy Halladay and his Hall of Fame Legacy in Baseball

Roy Halladay was a workhorse starting pitcher in an era that saw pitchers throw less innings year by year. Today he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and he truly deserves to be in Cooperstown for what he accomplished in baseball.

It was a devastating day for the world of baseball when it was announced that Roy Halladay had passed away in a tragic plane accident.

For one, a family lost a son, father, and husband that not only loved his family but also loved helping sick children and donating time and money to numerous charitable causes over his life.

For others, the fans and players in baseball lost a brother and an icon; the very definition of what hard work can do to achieve whatever they set their mind too.

Through his seasons in Toronto and Philadelphia, Roy ‘Doc’ HallDaya was always one of the best pitchers on the roster and was revered for his work ethic; both physically and mentally, on and off the field.

Early in his MLB career, when the struggles were mounting, Halladay credited sports psychologist Harvey Dorfman for helping with insight when he needed it the most.

This is important in today’s day and age, as athletes are using these services more often in order to deal with the stresses and pressures of everyday life of being in the spotlight.

For the physical side, when Halladay showed up at the ballpark, everything was scheduled and the workouts would not be skimped on, even if it was the last day of the season.

He was well known for running ‘marathon like’ segments after his pitching assignments and for waking up early in the morning to complete these workouts day after day, whether it was spring training or late in the season.

Another aspect that was dear to Halladay was charity.

Well known for his exploits on the field, it was what Halladay and his family did off the field that made his legacy even more impressive than it already was.

During his tenure in Toronto, he and his wife Brandy ran ‘Doc’s Box’, a private box at the Rogers Centre that hosted sick and underprivileged children who could watch the Blue Jays games live and in private. He would also frequently visit with the children who attended these games.

On top of this charitable cause, as part of his contract, Roy Halladay would also donate $100,000 to the Jays Care Foundation each year.

With his hard work, Doc was able to dominate both on and off the field, which is why he was a first-ballot Hall of Famer with his name being on 85.4% of all the ballots submitted.

Roy Halladay

The Toronto Blue Jays Days

Roy Halladay was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays straight out of his Colorado high school, going in the first round in the 1995 amateur draft.

He would make his debut with the Blue Jays in 1998, being a late September call up for the squad.

His first win would come during that call up against the Detroit Tigers.

In this particular game, Halladay had a no-hitter going into the 9th inning, and with two out, he surrendered a home run which would break up the feat.

He would go on to get the next out, finishing his first of many complete games.

During the next three seasons, Halladay would spend time as both a starter and a reliever, and would even see time in the minor leagues in order to revamp his delivery and approach on the mound after a rough 2000 season.

After the demotion to work on his pitching mechanics before the start of the 2001 season, he would return to the team midseason and begin to carve out his major league career.

During his 12 seasons in Toronto, Halladay would accomplish many feats including 6 All-Star selections, 1 Cy-Young Award (2003), and 1 MLB wins leader designation (2003).

With his time in Toronto, he would go on to start 287 games, leaving the franchise with a 148-76 record, 3.43 ERA, and 1495 strikeouts.

Most impressively, Halladay would go on to throw 49 complete games during those 12 seasons, with 15 of those games being shutouts.

His most impressive season for the Blue Jays was in 2003, where he would lead the league in innings pitched (266.0), games started (36), wins (22), complete games (9), and shutouts (2).

He would go on to be both an All-Star and would win his first Cy Young award in 2003.

Doc was impressive during his time in Toronto, but also had some injuries along the way.

He was placed on the injured list twice in 2004 with shoulder issues, and in 2005 he would miss a large part of the season because he broke his leg after taking a line drive during a game against the Texas Rangers.

Doc had a scare during the 2008 season, as he took a line drive off the side of his head during a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He would miraculously not miss any games and would be fine for the season, escaping serious injury.

While he was not able to bring a World Series (or even a playoff appearance) to the great white North, Halladay was one of the main reasons fans continued to show up to the Rogers Centre year after year during 2000-2009 seasons.

At the end of the 2009 season, the Toronto Blue Jays would end up trading Roy Halladay to the Philadelphia Phillies, where he would continue to dominate and would end up accomplishing amazing personal feats as well as experience the postseason for the first time.

Roy Halladay

The Legacy

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Roy Halladay was remembered by his peers for his work ethic, electric pitches on the mound, and his charitable work off the field.

For the Toronto Blue Jays, the number 32 was retired to the rafters and his name was added to the Centre of Excellence.

For the Philadelphia Phillies, he was added to the Wall of Fame and Bryce Harper chose not to wear number 34 in honor of Halladay.

This past year, Halladay was eligible for the Hall of Fame, and he would up receiving the necessary percentage of votes (75% or more) to be able to enter the hallowed gates of Cooperstown, an honor that was very deserving for the workhorse pitcher from Colorado.

On July 21, he will officially be inducted into Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame.

With his life cut short due to the airplane incident, when Halladay enters the HOF this weekend, he will not be wearing any logo on his plaque.

This was a decision made by his wife and his family, who mentioned that while Toronto is where Doc got his start, it was in Philly where he was given his chance to make the postseason and try for the World Series.

It was obviously a difficult decision for his wife and sons and I agree with their statement on the matter.

In the end, it really doesn’t matter who is on the logo, it just matters that he made it into the HOF based on his accomplishments.

It almost seems like he should wear a special hat with both the Jays and Phillies logo, but the HOF probably does not allow for that sort of thing.

He was able to accomplish so much for both organizations, and his commitment and love for baseball surely set the benchmark for future players for decades to come.

A truly remarkable athlete whose life was cut short too soon.

On July 21, when his wife Brandy takes the stage for his induction speech, there will be many tears flowing in the audience, with fans and players across the MLB celebrating the legacy of Roy Halladay.

RIP Doc.