#Middlebury #RoyHalladay #ASportingView
By Mark Vasto
For every certain moment of greatness in sports, there is an equally certain moment of tragedy. On Nov. 7, 2017, Roy “Doc” Halladay became the living embodiment of that sentiment through his death.
Halladay was a great pitcher. Baseball is a funny sport in that hitters get all the accolades, but true fans and those in the business of the sport know that pitchers are what make the game work. Fans may cheer for the home-run hitter, but it’s the pitcher who puts the ball in play, and it’s the pitcher who sends that hitter back to the bench with a few killer curves and fastballs that most people in the upper decks can’t even see nor comprehend.
Halladay was just such a guy. Seven times he was in the top five for the Cy Young award; twice he left with the iron.
At 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, his was a figure you couldn’t ignore. For years, it was common knowledge around the league that if you had Halladay, you had a winner on your team.
He won 20 games three times, 19 games twice. Never lost more than 11 games in a season, ever. His lifetime WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) was 1.17 … better than Bob Gibson (1.18), Jim Palmer (1.18) and Bob Feller (1.3) to cherry-pick a few. He threw two no-hitters – one a perfect game and another in the playoffs, matching only Don Larsen in that feat. He won 203 games and lost only 105. The guy had Hall of Fame written all over him, and there was little doubt that he could have kept pitching after his retirement. He was only 40 when he died.
To understand Halladay’s dominance during the early parts of the 21st century, you only need check the baseball columns of the day. Halladay pitched in Toronto for 12 seasons, and every single team wanted him in their uniform next. Philadelphia won that contest, and the instant credibility he lent to the franchise was impossible to miss every fourth day.
“There are no words to describe the sadness that the entire Phillies family is feeling over the loss of one of the most respected human beings ever to play the game,” read the Phillies twitter, echoing sentiments of fans everywhere.
It’s creepy that Roy died in a plane crash. While air travel is considered the safest means of transport, it was hard for baseball fans to believe when Roberto Clemente and Thurman Munson both met their early demise in a small cockpit. Halladay, it seemed, couldn’t resist the allure either.
“I have dreamed about owning a A5 since I retired! Real life is better [than] my dreams!!” Halladay tweeted on Oct. 13.
Well, Roy got his wish, and we got to watch him play. He’s in a better place, and every sportsman was better for having known the guy. Rest in peace, Roy … fly on.
Mark Vasto is a veteran sportswriter who lives in New Jersey.
(c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
