Roy Halladay
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Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay (born May 14 1977 in Denver, Colorado), nicknamed Doc, is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Roy Halladay, the current ace of the Toronto Blue Jays, got his nickname from the old famous Colorado gunslinger, "Doc" Holliday. He has played for the Jays since 1998 and was the team's first draft selection (17th overall) in the 1995 MLB Draft. He bats and throws right-handed.
Halladay had his best seasons in 2002, when he made the All-Star team, and posted a 19-7 record with 168 strikeouts and a 2.93 earned run average, and 2003, when he won the American League Cy Young Award with a 22-7 record, 204 strikeouts and a 3.25 earned run average. In 2003, he also led the American League in innings pitched (266.0) and tied for the American League lead in complete games (nine). In 2004, he went 8-8.
The first half of the 2005 season proved to be largely successful for Halladay, as he proved to be one of the best pitchers in the American League. He was even slated to be the starting pitcher for the American League at the All-Star Game in Detroit. [link] However, on July 8, Halladay suffered a broken leg when he was hit with a line drive off the bat of Texas Rangers left fielder Kevin Mench. Obviously unavailable for the All-Star Game, he was replaced by Matt Clement of the Boston Red Sox. Despite rehabilitation and further evaluation on his leg, it was decided that Halladay would sit out the remainder of the season.
Through July 2006, Halladay leads the MLB with 12 wins. Although his strikeouts are down, his groundball to flyball ratio, complete games, and innings pitched are all among the A.L. Leaders.
Halladay's pitches include a good fastball, one of the best curveballs in the league, and a forkball. He also possesses one of the most dangerous cut fastballs in the league. He can use this pitch to curve in to righties as well as lefties, and is often called the most dangerous in an already great arsenal of pitches. He usually posts a good strikeout-to-walk ratio and is a ground ball pitcher.
On March 16, 2006 Halladay signed a $40 million, 3-year contract that will keep him with the club through the 2010 season. He was named to the American League All-Star Team as a reserve on July 3, 2006, along with four of his Jays teammates. It marks the second-most appearances in club history. (Seven Blue Jays were in the 1993 game.) His appearance in Pittsburgh will mark his fourth time as an All-Star representative.
Trivia
Against the Detroit Tigers on September 27, 1998, Halladay came within one out of becoming the first pitcher to hurl a no-hitter on the final day of the regular season since Mike Witt's perfect game in 1984; the bid was broken up by Bobby Higginson. Halladay also pitched the first extra-inning shutout in the major leagues since Jack Morris in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, leading the Jays over the Tigers on September 6, 2003. He pitched 10 innings and hadn't allowed a hit until Kevin Witt doubled with two outs in the bottom of the 8th.Career highlights
- 4-time MLB All-Star: 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006
- American League Cy Young Award: 2003
- The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year: 2003
- Players Choice Awards (Most Outstanding Pitcher): 2003
- Halladay is an avid fisherman.
External links
- [Baseball-Reference.com] - career statistics and analysis
- [ESPN.com: Roy Halladay]
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