I’m very sorry to share this news:
We are saddened by the tragic news that Roy Halladay, 2-time Cy Young Award winner & 8-time All-Star, has died in a plane crash. He was 40. pic.twitter.com/SOFv3bOLyt
— MLB (@MLB) November 7, 2017
It’s sad when anyone passes away so suddenly, doing something they love, at such a young age (Halladay just turned 40 this year). But obviously it’s different when we feel some connection to the person – in this case, one of the best pitchers we’ve seen with our own eyes.
For those of us who can remember watching Halladay’s mastery – it wasn’t that long ago, so it’s probably almost all of us – you always thought of him as one of the best of the best when he was at his peak. Halladay was a control and contact-managing master, twice throwing more than 250 innings in a season at which he walked guys at a 3.0%(!!!) clip. We don’t have perfect measurements for the entirety of his career, but from what we can tell, his career hard contact rate was an obscene 23.3%. Good luck squaring up Roy Halladay.
A balky shoulder ended his career when he was just entering his mid-30s, but he is nevertheless a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer in my book when he becomes eligible in a couple years.
Sadly, it will be a posthumous induction.
Much love to Halladay’s friends and family, and to all the fans who enjoyed watching him work.