Roy Halladay embodied what it meant to be a Phillie
On Tuesday afternoon, the sports world was rocked by the news of former MLB All-Star and two-time Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay’s death in a plane crash off the coast of Florida. The 40-year-old right-hander finished with over 200 career wins and 2,000 strikeouts, as he spent his first 12 seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays. Six of Halladay’s eight All-Star appearances came while he was in Toronto, including his first Cy Young in 2003.
But, as a Phillies fan, I’m here to write about what he brought to the city of Philadelphia during his four seasons in pinstripes. That story begins in the fall of 2009.
After winning the World Series in 2008 for the first time in 28 years, the Phillies were knocked off by the New York Yankees in the Fall Classic in 2009. The reason for why the Phillies were not able to repeat as world champions was simple: pitching.
While the Phillies had one of the highest-scoring offenses in baseball in 2009, the pitching staff was inconsistent all season. After winning 14 games and posting a 3.09 earned run average (ERA) in 2008, ace Cole Hamels mustered only 10 wins and saw his ERA balloon to 4.32 in 2009.
Jamie Moyer, who at age 45 led the Phillies in wins (16) in 2008, finally showed his age and fell out of the rotation by midseason. Moyer’s replacement, Pedro Martinez, was a strong free agent addition to the Phillies pitching staff. However, Philadelphia was far too dependent on the 37-year-old veteran, as Martinez imploded in the World Series against his old rival.
Cliff Lee, who was acquired by the Phillies at the trade deadline from the Cleveland Indians, stepped in nicely as the ace of the staff during the second half of the season and the playoffs. But it wasn’t enough to get the Phillies over the hump.
Led by former general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., the Phillies front office knew they had to make a big splash over the winter in order to get the franchise back to the top of the baseball world. And that’s exactly what they did.
In December of 2009, the Phillies acquired Halladay for three minor league prospects. Now, the franchise had a veteran ace in Halladay to pair alongside Hamels in the starting rotation.
In his first season with the Phillies, Halladay had arguably his greatest season in the majors. Finishing the season at 21–10 with a 2.44 ERA, “Doc” lead the National League in wins, innings pitched (250.2), and complete games (9). Halladay became the first Phillie to reach 20 wins since Steve Carlton in 1982.
He also set a career-high in strikeouts with 219 as he helped the Phillies capture their fourth straight division title and the best record in the majors. As a result, Halladay made his seventh All-Star team and earned his second Cy Young Award.
While the Phillies were unable to make it back to the World Series in 2010 after losing to the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS, Halladay’s season was highlighted by two historic performances.
The first came in May when he pitched the 20th perfect game in MLB history against the Florida Marlins. Here’s all 27 outs Halladay recorded that night:
Then, in his first career playoff game, Halladay threw a no-hitter in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds. He became only the second pitcher in MLB history to toss a no-hitter in the postseason, joining Don Larsen of the Yankees in 1956. It was the first time a pitcher threw a perfect game and no-hitter in the same season. Here’s how it went down:
In 2011, Halladay went 19–6 with a 2.35 ERA and eight complete games as he made his eighth and final All-Star team. The Phillies captured their fifth straight NL East title and the best record in baseball for a second straight year with 102 wins.
However, despite having one of the best rotations in baseball, the Phillies were bounced in the NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals. For the second straight year, Halladay and the Phillies fell short of the World Series. It was a huge disappointment, as the Phillies were heavy favorites to win the Fall Classic. However, no one knew that the worst had yet to come.
Halladay’s 2012 season was beleaguered by injuries as he spent much of the season on the disabled list. Halladay went 11–8 on the season, but he finished with a 4.49 ERA. Worst of all, the Phillies missed the playoffs for the first time since 2007. It was officially the end of a dynasty.
In Halladay’s final MLB season, Doc struggled through injuries for a second straight year as he went 4–5 and posted a career-worst 6.82 ERA in 2013. With his best pitching days behind him and injuries building up, Halladay retired after the 2013 season. The Phillies missed the postseason for a second straight year, and Doc Halladay would never throw another pitch again in the major leagues.
Yes, the Phillies were never able to win a World Series title or reach the Fall Classic with Doc Halladay on the mound. They should have won it all in 2010 and/or 2011, but the Phillies ran into teams that were simply playing their best baseball at the right time. Both teams, the Giants and Cardinals, would go on to win the World Series in those respective years.
But Roy Halladay embodied everything it meant to be a Phillie. Not only was he a great pitcher, but he was a great person and teammate who was adored by the City of Brotherly Love.
When Doc took the mound, fans watched in amazement from their seats. There was always an extra buzz at Citizens Bank Park when Doc was slated to start. You knew that you were always going to witness greatness when Roy Halladay pitched.
It’s common for baseball fans to go to the concession stand or bathroom while their team is in the field. But when Doc was on the mound, it was hard to get up from your seat. That hot dog would have to wait until after the inning.
During my childhood, I grew up watching Hall of Famers like Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine. Roy Halladay was one of the most dominant pitchers of my childhood too, and I hope that someday soon we’ll be able to add his name to that list of great Hall of Fame pitchers.
Next year, the Phillies will all but likely wear a patch on their jerseys honoring their former ace. Don’t be surprised if he joins the Phillies Wall of Fame in Ashburn Alley out beyond centerfield next season too. But it won’t be the same without Doc Halladay there to receive the honor.
