Remembering Doc

I really don’t want to write a eulogy to Roy Halladay.

I feel really bad for his wife and children.

It seems unreal that he was just 40.

He really seemed to be enjoying retirement. His twitter showed a nice sense of humor, which we didn’t get to see much when he was player. And it showed how much fun he was having as a father and how he was enjoying having more leisure time. He worked so hard, as a pitcher, that I was happy to see him enjoying life.

Back when he was with the Blue Jays, he was the best part of a rather mediocre team. When you don’t have a good team it is great to have someone you can point to who is the best at his position. Halladay was the best.

He wasn’t instantly the best. He had a 10.64 ERA in 67.2 innings, back in 2000. Maybe that’s part of why we liked him so much, that it didn’t come easy to me. That he had to work at it.

And, man did he work at it. There are many stories about him being the first into the weight room every morning and stories of other pitchers trying to keep up with him and quickly finding out that it wasn’t possible.

My favorite memory?

Maybe the 2009 game when he beat the Yankees and A.J. Burnett. Halladay pitched a complete game, allowing just 1 run. And we scored 5 against Burnett. I don’t know why that gave was so important to me, I didn’t really hate Burnett for opting out of his contract with the Jays, but I still really wanted that win.

My favorite moments were the rare moments he would smile. Generally at the end of a game. He is always so focused and serious on the mound, the odd moments he looked like he was enjoying himself stand out.

I also remember, though it is far from a ‘favorite memory’, the game in Philadelphia, the season after the trade, when the Jays lost to Doc and the Phillies. That series was moved from Toronto to Philadelphia, because of the G20, but unfortunately the decision was made after I had bought tickets to that series and the series before it (that one was still in Toronto). Long story short, I ended up driving from Toronto to Phildelphia to see the series.

So was more than a little bittersweet to watch Doc mow down the Jays like they were a Triple A team. And, seeing all the Phillies fans wearing ‘Halladay’ jerseys was a little tough to take.

And I remember the no-hitter in the 2010 NLDS game against the Reds. I wish we could have gotten to the playoffs so we could have watched him do that for us.

Soon, his name will be up on the ‘Level of Excellence’, but I wish it happened while he was there to enjoy it.

Share your memories in the thread.

As sad is it is (honestly, I’m surprised how sad this has made me feel), I’ve enjoy reading what Halladay’s teammates have been saying about him.

This is my favorite: