Two-time Cy Young Award winning pitcher Roy Halladay, a Denver native, died Tuesday when his plane crashed in the Gulf of Mexico. He was 40 years old.
According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, who confirmed Halladay’s death, his ICON A5 light sport aircraft crashed into the Gulf at about 1 p.m. ET. Halladay was the only passenger. According to the sheriff’s office, the plane plunged into water that was 6 feet deep.
Halladay was a 1995 graduate of Arvada West High School and one of the best baseball players the state of Colorado has ever produced. He was drafted directly out of high school by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 17th overall pick of the first round. He was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
Halladay had recently posted pictures and videos of himself flying his new ICON A5 light-sport aircraft on his Twitter account: @RoyHalladay.
What do clouds feel like? I didn’t know either until I got my new Icon A5! I’m getting bruises on my arms from constantly pinching myself! pic.twitter.com/BaObEUj3Xo
— Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) October 13, 2017
Halladay was a former eight-time all-star pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays (1998-2009) and the Philadelphia Phillies (2010-2013). He won the Cy Young Award in 2003 and 2010. He is considered a likely Hall of Famer.
Halladay finished his career with a 203-105 record and a 3.38 ERA.
In 2010, the right-hander pitched the second no-hitter in postseason history, leading Philadelphia over Cincinnati 4-0 in the teams’ division series opener at Citizens Bank Park. He joined the New York Yankees’ Don Larsen, who threw a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1956 World Series, as the only pitchers to throw postseason no-hitters.
Earlier that season, in late May, he threw a perfect game against the Florida Marlins.
That season showed just how great a pitcher Halladay had become, longtime Cherry Creek coach Marc Johnson said at the time.
“He’s not only the standard in Colorado, he’s pretty much the standard in baseball,” said Johnson, who scouted for numerous big-league organizations. “He’s the guy. He’s the one you’re trying to become.
“He’s taken serious steps toward the Hall of Fame. It’s going to be hard to keep him out. That was a very, very impressive performance, one that Denver should be very proud of.”
Halladay is survived by his wife, Brandy, and their two children, Ryan and Braden.
Halladay’s passing shocked the baseball world.
“We are numb over the very tragic news about Roy Halladay’s untimely death,” the Phillies said in a statement. “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 to ever play the game. It is with the heaviest of hearts that we pass along our condolences to Brandy, Ryan and Braden.”
Halladay signed a one-day contract with Toronto in December 2013 so he could retire as a member of the Blue Jays, the team with which he spent the first 12 years of his career.
“The Toronto Blue Jays organization is overcome by grief with the tragic loss of one of the franchise’s greatest and most respected players, but even better human being,” the Blue Jays said in a statement. “It is impossible to express what he has meant to this franchise, the city and its fans. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”
Tony Clark, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, said: “Our hearts are broken. Roy Halladay was not just one of the greatest competitors, but was also among the best men in our generation of players.
“Our paths crossed many times during our careers and I can tell you he was among the toughest pitchers I ever faced. But while he never gave in on the mound, he was known in both leagues as an outstanding teammate, a guy who would go out of his way to help other players. Our prayers go out to his wife Brandy and their children Ryan and Braden.”
