Top Blue Jays Player #5: Roy Halladay
Position: Pitcher
Seasons With the
Jays: 12 (1998-2009)
MLB Awards: Cy
Young Award (2003)
All-Star Game
Selection: 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009
Stats: Games Pitched 416 Innings Pitched 2046.2
Wins/Losses 148-76 Saves
1
ERA 3.43 Strike
outs 1495
Games Started 287 Games
Finished 6
Complete Games 49 Shutouts 15
Roy Halladay, for a period of
about seven years, was the most dominant pitcher in all of baseball. He was, at
times, the only bright spot in the Jays’ rotation, and if he had been fortunate
to get better run support from his teammates, he may have had many more 20-win
seasons while he was in Toronto.
“Doc” was drafted by the Blue
Jays in the first round (19th overall) in the 1995 Amateur Draft and
made his Big League Debut in 1998. In his second career start (September 27th),
Halladay took a no-hitter into the ninth inning against he Detroit Tigers. But
Tigers’ outfielder Bobby Higginson hit a solo home run with two outs to spoil
the bid, but Halladay still picked up his first win and first complete game in
his career.
Over the next three seasons,
Halladay split time between the rotation and the bullpen, winning a total of 17
games during that span. It wasn’t until 2002 that he turned into the dominant
pitcher that Jays’ fans would be used to seeing for most of the decade. He
earned his first All-Star Game selection, while winning 19 games, posting a 2.93
ERA and striking out 168 batters in a league-leading 239 1/3 innings pitched.
But it was 2003 that would be
the best season of his career, and one of the best pitching seasons in the
history of the club. He won 22 games (still a club record), had a 3.25 ERA
while striking out 204 batters. He led the league in innings pitched again
(266), while also being the top hurler in complete games (9) and shutouts (2).
He became the third Blue Jays’ pitcher to win the Cy Young Award, receiving 26
of 28 first-place votes.
Even more was expected in 2004,
but Doc struggled with shoulder problems throughout the season. He was placed
on the disabled list twice and only pitched in 133 innings. He posted an 8-8
win/loss record, had an unusually high 4.20 ERA and only struck out 95 batters.
In 2005, Halladay had recovered
from his shoulder problems and was well on his way to winning another Cy Young
Award. However, his season came to an abrupt end right before the All-Star Game
(he was scheduled to start the Summer Classic) when his leg was broken after
being hit with the ball on a line-drive off the bat of Kevin Mench of the Texas
Rangers. Before the injury, he was 12-4, had a 2.41 ERA and struck out 108
batters.
He rebounded in 2006 (16-5,
3.19, 132) and followed that up with a strong 2007 (16-7, 3.71, 139). And in
2008 he would post numbers similar to his Cy Young Award-winning season of
2003. He won 20 games for the second time in his career, had a 2.78 (better
than 2003), struck out 206 batters and led the league in complete games (9) and
shut outs (2). He finished second to Cliff Lee of the Cleveland Indians in Cy
Young Award voting.
Another solid season followed in
2009 (17-10, 2.79, 208) and he led the league once again in complete games (9)
and shutouts (4). During his time with the Blue Jays he was the league-leader
in complete games five times and shutouts three times. But the Jays were never
really able to compete in the American League East, always falling short behind
either the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox (and the Tampa Bay Rays in
2008).
Halladay requested Toronto trade
him to a contending team and they accommodated him sending him to the
Philadelphia Phillies before the 2010 season. He won the Cy Young in the
National League his first season in Philly. He won 21 games, threw a perfect
game and followed that up with a no-hitter over the Cincinnati Reds in the
NLDS, his first post-season start. The Phillies would lose to the San Francisco
Giants in the NLCS and Halladay would post a 1-1 record in his two starts.
His last dominating season would
be 2011 when he would finish second in Cy Young voting, winning 19 games. He
would miss half the 2012 season with a shoulder strain and won only 11 games.
More shoulder problems would follow in 2013 and he managed to win four games in
13 starts. His career was over. In December, he signed a one-day contract with
Toronto so he could retire as a Blue Jay.
On the list of all-time Blue Jay
pitching leaders, Halladay ranks second in wins, strike outs and shut outs,
third in innings pitched and complete games and fifth in ERA. It’s only a
matter of time before he is honoured on the club’s “Level of Excellence.”
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