Roy Halladay

Roy Halladay is a pitcher’s pitcher.  Blessed with a live arm, there was never any question whether Halladay would make the Major Leagues.  The only question was whether he could develop into the complete pitcher that he has become.

Harry Leroy Halladay III, a/k/a “Doc,” was born May 14, 1977 in Denver Colorado. After high school, Halladay was the first choice of the Toronto Blue Jays and the 17th overall pick in the 1995 MLB draft. Halladay quickly established himself as a power pitcher with a heavy fastball.

In 2000, the Blue Jays made a decision to re-assign Halladay to their Class A Dunedin Blue Jays affiliate.  There, pitching coach, Mel Queen, welcomed the 95 mph fastballer and the two worked hard to change Halladay’s approach from the classic overhead delivery to an angled delivery that allowed him to throw more pitches.  Halladay began to develop the sinker, curveball and cutter that now compose his repertoire.

Halladay made 16 starts for the Jays in 2001, posting a 5-3 record with a 3.19 ERA.  As one of the hardest workers in the game, Halladay came to realize the importance of mixing his pitches and getting outs via groundballs.  Yet, Doc was able to maintain a solid strikeout to walk ratio.  By 2002, Halladay was named to his first of seven All Star games and the right-hander set about securing his seat in the Hall of fame.

In 2003, Halladay recorded 22 wins in his first of three 20 game seasons. When Halladay signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, he immediately became the frontrunner in the race for the Cy Young Award.  Without pitching to a designated hitter, it was expected that Halladay would have a spectacular season.  His ERA of 3.34 is certainly admirable but below Halladay standards.  However, he has tossed three shutouts and pitched a perfect game on May 29th against the Florida Marlins.

Halladay is the major league career leader in complete games (57) and 18 shutouts.  Philadelphia has recently added Roy Oswalt to an impressive staff which includes Cole Hamels.  The Phillies have the strongest and most experienced starting rotation of any of the playoff teams.

ROY HALLADAY STATS SUMMARY