Even baseball fans who didn’t like the Toronto Blue Jays liked Roy Halladay.
One of six pitchers to win a Cy Young Award in the American and National leagues, Halladay died Tuesday when his new, small, sport-flying airplane crashed into the Gulf of Mexico.
“Doc” Halladay was 40. He had a wife and two sons. He spent 12 seasons with Toronto before asking to be traded to a contender.
He pitched a perfect game with Philadelphia and a no-hitter in his postseason debut before retiring in 2013 following four seasons with the Phillies. It seems like he just left the game. When he retired he became a pilot.
Three Jays pitchers won Cy Youngs: Roger Clemens twice, Pat Hentgen and Halladay. With Dave Stieb and David Wells, they’re Toronto’s roster of all-time best pitchers.
Halladay was the most recent. By all reports, he was also the warmest, a beloved teammate and tremendous competitor.
The local sheriff where he crashed called “humble” Halladay “a personal friend.”
More than the baseball world is mourning.