Blue Jays to retire Roy Halladay’s number

The Blue Jays sent out a press release saying that they are retiring Roy Halladay’s number 32 at their home opener. Mark March 29th on you calendar.

Halladay will be just the second player in franchise history to have his number retired. Roberto Alomar’s number 12 was the first. And, of course, all teams have retired Jackie Robinson’s number 42.

The jersey will be retired at a pregame ceremony.

As well as retiring his number, the Blue Jays will wear a number 32 commemorative patch this coming season.

The press release contained this quote from Mark Shapiro:

Through Roy’s values, pride, work ethic, and perseverance, he epitomized what it means to be a Blue Jay. And while his legacy is clear, it goes far beyond the number on his back or his on-field accomplishments, serving as a shining example of how to live a meaningful life and positively impact others.

People were complaining when the team didn’t immediately announce their plans to celebrate Doc’s life, but they did have to coordinate with his family. I’m glad they are doing this, but then again, I had no doubt that they would.