The end of July provides America’s Pastime with one of its most hallowed weekends as the Class of 2019 is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown this Sunday.
This year’s set of inductees will have a Philadelphia flair to it as former Phillie Roy Halladay will be enshrined.
Halladay enjoyed a 16-year MLB career with the Toronto Blue Jays and Phillies, developing into one of the most feared right-handed pitchers in the game.
While he spent a majority of his career north of the border, Halladay will always be held in high regard in Philadelphia as he excelled during his four-year stint at Citizens Bank Park.
Halladay owned a 203-105 record with a career 3.38 ERA and two Cy Young Awards while gaining eight All-Star selections.
His .659 winning-percentage ranks 20th in Major League Baseball history and fifth among pitchers with at least 16-year careers.
It will be a bittersweet ceremony on Lake Otsego, however, as Halladay’s family will be there on his behalf. He was killed in a plane crash in Nov. of 2017.
There will still be plenty of moments to celebrate such a storied career which was dotted by countless, enormous feats. So before the festivities begin on Sunday, Metro picked out some of his greatest moments in the majors.
A Near No-No
Halladay laid down the gauntlet early in his career, spinning an absolute gem against the Detroit Tigers in his second-career start on Sept. 27, 1998.
The then 21-year-old was one out away from a no-hitter before Bobby Higginson broke things up with a solo home run. It was his only blemish of the day as Halladay recorded the last out to cap off a complete-game one-hitter with eight strikeouts.
While he ran into plenty of trouble with his mechanics, leading to his demotion to single-A ball, the bar was set high for Halladay’s career.
10-Inning Scorcher
One of Halladay’s finest outings came on Sept. 6, 2003, when he pitched a 10-inning complete game against the Tigers to help secure a 1-0 victory.
A 10-inning complete game is rare enough, especially in the 21st century. However, it took Halladay just two hours to do so and on just 99 pitches.
He walked just a single batter while striking out five in the victory to record his 19th victory of the season.
22 Wins and a Cy Young
Just 17 days after that complete game and on the fifth anniversary of his near no-no, Halladay recorded his ninth complete game of the season and his fifth of the month in a 5-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians.
He struck out nine on the day, which was just enough to secure his 22nd win of the season, becoming the first pitcher in Blue Jays history to win that many games in a single year.
Halladay finished the season with a 22-7 record and a 3.25 ERA, good for his first Cy Young Award. He is one of three Blue Jays to earn the honor, joining Pat Hentgen and Roger Clemens.
Halladay sent to Phils
Following 12 seasons and zero playoff appearances with the Blue Jays, Halladay was sent to the Phillies for Travis d’Arnaud, Kyle Drabek, and Michael Taylor in December of 2009.
Halladay gave the 2010 Phillies, just two years removed from a World Series title, an undisputed ace as he joined Cole Hamels and Kyle Kendrick.
The move set up one of Halladay’s finest seasons as a pro in his debut campaign in Philadelphia.
Perfection
On May 29, 2010, Halladay became the 20th pitcher in MLB history to pitch a perfect game.
The 33-year-old faced just 27 Marlins, setting them all down in succession with 11 strikeouts in a 1-0 victory.
He became just the second Phillie to attain such a feat, joining Jim Bunning’s perfect game in 1964 against the New York Mets.
Following the game, Halladay bought 60 watches for his teammates and Phillies personnel. On each one was engraved, “We did it together. Thanks, Roy Halladay.”
To the Playoffs, Finally
There’s that Sept. 27 date again.
Twelve years after his near no-no and seven after capping off his first Cy Young Award, Halladay spun a two-hit shutout of the over the Washington Nationals.
He was as efficient as ever, striking out six without walking a single batter on just 97 pitches.
The victory clinched a fourth-straight National League East title for the Phillies and secured Halladay’s first-ever trip to the playoffs.
For Halladay, it put the exclamation point on another Cy Young Award-winning season as he finished with a 21-10 record and 2.44 ERA.
He is one of just five pitchers in MLB history to win a Cy Young Award in both the American and National League.
The Playoff No-No
Halladay wasted no time leaving his mark on the postseason record books.
In his very first playoff start, Halladay pitched a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of the NLDS.
It was the second-ever no-hitter in postseason history and the first since Don Larsen’s perfect game for the New York Yankees during the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
The Phillies would sweep the Reds in three games before falling to the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS.
