Randhawa: Roy Halladay was one of baseball’s true aces
From SABR member Manny Randhawa at Sports on Earth on November 7, 2017:
As the baseball world mourns the passing of Roy Halladay after his plane crashed into the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, recollections of his devotion to family, friends and teammates throughout his life pay tribute to the man he was off the field.
Halladay leaves a legacy far more significant than anything done on a baseball diamond, but as we remember him, we undoubtedly also look back at one of the great pitching careers in baseball history. In fact, Halladay’s greatness has perhaps been understated, much like his humble personality was.
From 2002, Halladay’s first full season as a starting pitcher, to 2011, only one starter (minimum 1,200 innings pitched) had a higher ERA+ than Halladay’s 148, and that was Johan Santana (150). Only one starter threw more innings over that span than Halladay’s 2,194 2/3: Mark Buehrle, who threw 9 1/3 more.
No one threw more complete games than Halladay over that 10-season period, and it wasn’t close: Halladay’s 63 complete games were 30 more than second-place CC Sabathia. Of Halladay’s 63 complete games during that span, 18 were shutouts, most of any pitcher (Sabathia’s 12 were second).
Read the full article here: http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/260909940/roy-halladay-tribute
- Related link: Read the SABR biography of Roy Halladay
Originally published: November 7, 2017. Last Updated: November 7, 2017.