Roy Halladay

Roy Halladay
Toronto Blue Jays – No. 32
Starting Pitcher
Bats: Right Throws: Right
debut
September 20, 1998, for the Toronto Blue Jays
Career statistics (through September 5, 2009)
Win–Loss	148–76
Earned run average	3.43
Strikeouts	1495
Complete games	49
Shutouts	15
Teams
Toronto Blue Jays (1998-present)
Career highlights and awards
6x All-Star selection (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009) 2003 AL Cy Young Award 2003 AL TSN Pitcher of the Year Led AL in WHIP (1.05), Complete Games (9), and Innings Pitched (246.0) in 2008 Led MLB in complete games (9), shut outs (4), and finished 2nd in Innings Pitched (239.0)in 2009 Led AL in complete games, Innings Pitched (239.0), and shut outs (4) in 2009

Harry Leroy Halladay III (born May 14, 1977), usually referred to as Roy or his nickname "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. His nickname, coined by former Blue Jays announcer Tom Cheek, is a reference to Wild West gunslinger "Doc" Holliday.

Early life

Born in Denver, Colorado, Halladay grew up in the suburb of Arvada; his father was a pilot for a food processing company, while his mother was a homemaker. From an early age, Halladay loved baseball, trying every position on the field until, by age 14, his success on the pitcher’s mound attracted the attention of major league scouts. In 1995, after graduating from Arvada West High School, he was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the amateur draft. Six seasons in the minors later, the strapping right-hander made the team and immediately proved his worth.

Career

He was the Blue Jays' first draft selection in the 1995 Major League Baseball Draft, the 17th pick overall.

Halladay debuted for the Blue Jays in 1998. In his second career start, against the Detroit Tigers on September 27, 1998, Halladay took a no-hitter into the ninth. The bid was broken up by a Bobby Higginson solo home run with 2 outs. The home run was the only hit Halladay would allow in a 2–1 Blue Jays victory, as he notched his first major league win. During the 2000 season, Halladay sported a 10.64 ERA in 19 games, 13 of which he started. At the beginning of the 2001 season, Halladay was optioned to Class A Dunedin Blue Jays to rebuild his delivery.

Halladay's fastball was clocked up to 95 mph, but it had little movement, and his pitches were up in the strike zone. He worked with former Blue Jays pitching coach Mel Queen. The problem, according to Queen, 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. Instead of throwing over the top, he chose to use a three-quarters delivery (the middle point between throwing overhand and sidearm). Originally a fastball pitcher, he became reliant on keeping his pitches low across the plate, regardless of the type of pitch thrown. The adjustments proved successful. After a month and a half, he was promoted to class AA Tennessee, and a month later, to class AAA Syracuse. By mid-season, he was back in the Blue Jays’ rotation. He posted a 5–3 record with a 3.19 ERA for the Blue Jays in 16 starts in 2001. 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 All-Star team. His 19 wins were the most by a Blue Jay since David Wells won 20 in 2000.

Halladay continued his success in the 2003 season, posting a 22–7 record with a 3.25 ERA in 266.0 innings. He also recorded 204 strikeouts and only 32 walks, yielding for a 6.38 strikeouts per 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 6th. He pitched 10 innings and had not allowed a hit until Kevin Witt doubled with two outs in the top of the eighth. Halladay finished the season winning the American League Cy Young Award, and was named an All-Star, while helping to lead the Blue Jays to 86 victories.

In 2004, Halladay was placed on the disabled list twice due to right shoulder problems. In just 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 preseason. The 2005 season began successfully for Halladay, as he proved to be one of the best pitchers in the American League by going 12–4 with a 2.41 ERA in 19 starts. A favorite to win his second Cy Young award within three years, 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. 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 to keep him with the club through 2010. During 2006, 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, 2006, Halladay's fourth as an All-Star. Although Halladay's strikeout total was lower in 2006 than in previous seasons, his groundball-to-flyball ratio, complete games, and innings pitched were all among the American League leaders.

Halladay was the American league pitcher of the month in April 2007, going 4–0, highlighted by a 10-inning complete game win over the Detroit Tigers. However, he pitched poorly in his two starts in May, and on May 11 was placed on the disabled list and underwent an appendectomy. He returned to the rotation on May 31 against the Chicago White Sox and Halladay went 7 innings, and notched his 100th career win. Halladay also notched his first career RBI, against the LA Dodgers on June 10, he hit a ground ball single to center field.

2008

For the sixth consecutive year, Halladay was Toronto's opening day starter, improving his own club record. Three of his AL leading nine complete game efforts resulted in losses due to Toronto's poor offense. Those three complete game losses came in three consecutive starts. On June 20 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Halladay was struck in the temple by a line-drive. 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.

On July 11, 2008, Halladay pitched his 7th complete game and second shutout of the season against the New York Yankees, for his 38th career complete game. Halladay was named to the American League All-Star Team as a reserve. In his last start of the season, he pitched a complete game against the Yankees for his 20th win. 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, led the majors with a strikeout:walk ration of 5.28, and finished second in the 2008 American League Cy Young Award voting, behind Cliff Lee of the Indians. He struck out a career-high 206 batters and posted a 2.78 ERA. Halladay also became just the fourth pitcher in major league history to post two seasons of 200 strikeouts and fewer than 40 walks. In 2008 Halladay's cutter was the most effective one among major league starters, and he also had the most effective curveball among starters in the majors.[3]

2009

On April 6, Halladay made his team-record seventh straight Opening Day start for Toronto, defeating the Detroit Tigers. Halladay also won his next two starts, on the road against the Cleveland Indians and the Minnesota Twins. Halladay would lose his next game only to go on and win his next 6 games to bring his record up to 8-1 with a 2.75 ERA. Roy Halladay currently has a career win percentage of .673, good enough for 8th all-time, behind Lefty Grove.

In 2009 he was named #7 on the Sporting News' list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball. A panel of 100 baseball people, many of them members of the Baseball Hall of Fame and winners of major baseball awards, was polled to arrive at the list.[4]

On June 2nd, Halladay struck out 14 Los Angeles Angels at Rogers Centre, a career high for him. It was a complete game victory giving him his 8th win of the year. Final Score: Angels- 4, Blue Jays- 6

On July 5th, Halladay was selected to represent Toronto at the 2009 All Star Game, he was chosen as the AL's starting pitcher by manager Joe Maddon. He threw 2 innings, giving up 3 runs (2 of which were earned).

On September 4th, Roy pitched his second career one-hitter, shutting out the New York Yankees 6-0 in another complete game victory, snapping a three-game losing streak.

On September 25th, Roy pitched his 8th complete game on the season against the Mariners, striking out 9 over 9, in his last start of the 2009 season at home.

On September 30th, in what may have been his last start as a member of the Blue Jays, Halladay pitched his 9th complete game of the season against the Boston Red Sox needing only 100 pitches, and throwing a 3-hitter in the process in the 12-0 victory.

Halladay finished the 2009 season with a 17-10 record with an ERA of 2.79, tied a career high with 9 complete games including 4 shotouts, became the only pitcher to register back-to-back shutouts in the 2009 season on September 25th against the Mariners and September 30th against the Red Sox. Halladay also set a new career high with 208 strikeouts, reaching the 200 strikeout plateau for the third time in his career, in doing so he set a new Blue Jays franchise record with 3 seasons with 200+ strikeouts, he and Roger Clemens shared the previous record with two 200+ strikeout seasons. In 239 inning pitched, Halladay only issued 39 walks with a WHIP ratio of 1.13.

Personal life

Halladay is married and has two children. He and his wife Brandy are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Halladay and his wife invite children and their families from the Hospital for Sick Children into "Doc's Box" at Rogers Centre during Blue Jays games. As part of his contract with the Blue Jays, he also donates $100,000/year to Jays Care Foundation.

He has been the Blue Jays' nominee numerous times for the Roberto Clemente Award for his work with underprivileged children, most recently in 2008.

During the offseason, Halladay and his family live in Odessa, Florida.

Career highlights

• 6-time MLB All-Star: 2002, 2003, 2005 (was supposed to start but was sidelined with a season-ending injury), 2006, 2008 and 2009 (American League starting pitcher).
• American League Cy Young Award: 2003
• The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year: 2003
• Players Choice Awards (Most Outstanding Pitcher): 2003
• 2 time AL player of the week:
• 3 time AL pitcher of the month: May 2003, September 2003, April 2007.
• Toronto Blue Jays Career Leader in Win–Loss percentage (.670)
• Only Blue Jays pitcher to earn two base hits in one regular season game (vs. Los Angeles Dodgers on June 10, 2007)
• From 2002-2008, Halladay has a .698 winning percentage, 113 wins, 9 shutouts, 37 complete games, and 7.14 innings per start, all of which are the best in the American League in that time frame.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
• List of Major League Baseball wins champions

References

some information copied from this article on Baseball-Reference.com via the GFDL

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs