Former pitching great Roy Halladay was killed Tuesday when his private plane plunged into the Gulf of Mexico off the west coast of Florida. He was 40 years old.
Halladay spent 16 years in the major leagues, pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies. In 2010, he pitched a perfect game and followed that with a post-season no-hitter.
Halladay was one of the marquee autograph guests at the Philly Show in September and had been scheduled to sign for collectors at the Sports Spectacular event in Chicago this Saturday.
“What I remember most about Roy was that he had a smile on his face from the time he sat down until he left,” recalled Joe Drelich of East Coast Sports Marketing, which manages the Philly Show. “He was a real pleasure to work with, a true pro in every sense of the word. He was hurrying out the back tunnel exit of our show to catch his flight home and even took the time to stop and take a picture with a show dealer and his son . His untimely death has really hit a nerve with me. I started following him on Twitter recently, he was really excited about that plane. He will be missed tremendously.”
Friendly and popular with teammates and fans, Halladay was remembered for his generosity with autograph seekers, especially young people.
Devastating. #RIPDocHalladay pic.twitter.com/hYE30eBqEQ
— Fanatics Authentic (@FansAuthentic) November 7, 2017
Will never forget the time all the kids at Cooperstown ran up to Roy Halladay for an autograph & he stopped to sign for every single one of them❤️ RIP Roy Halladay??
— Carina Reyes (@carinalluvia) November 7, 2017
Roy Halladay taught me how to throw his 2 seamer just days after my 10th birthday when I asked for an autograph… what a man #Rip34
— Roberto Bardownski (@Burton_Music96) November 7, 2017
When I was 11 years old, I wrote to 1 player on each MLB team asking for his autograph. The only player who wrote back was Roy Halladay. RIP
— D.J. Peckens (@DJPeckens) November 7, 2017
I was planning on meeting Roy Halladay next weekend in Chicago. My favorite pitcher. Just got this signed a couple months ago. I’m crushed. pic.twitter.com/q4E1ZC3YXW
— Raymond Bennett (@RaymondXBennett) November 7, 2017
I only own like 5 signed jerseys, and I was so scared to ask him. He wrote that he liked watching ME pitch. What an honor pic.twitter.com/ufj4G8u5DD
— dan haren (@ithrow88) November 7, 2017
My fav Roy Halladay story? Roy taking picture behind unsuspecting fan wearing Halladay jersey #khou11 https://t.co/mddlqxZIt5 #khou11 pic.twitter.com/O4T5t8QyiD
— Jason Bristol (@JBristolKHOU) November 7, 2017
Roy Halladay’s cap and ball from his 2010 perfect game. His legacy lives on in Cooperstown. Rest in peace, Doc. pic.twitter.com/PqASdhK8bf
— Baseball Hall ⚾ (@baseballhall) November 7, 2017
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