The news came quickly without any major details. A small aircraft crashed in the Gulf of Mexico with one dead.
That one just happened to be Roy ‘Doc’ Halladay. The possible future Hall of Famer, 2X Cy Young winner, and all around fan favorite has passed away at 40 years old.
Sports director at the CBS Tampa affiliate, Ryan Bass, reported that the tail number of the aircraft matched Halladay’s plane. The plane went down about 10 miles west of St. Petersburg, around 1pm ,according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.
His death was confirmed around 4:15 by the same source.
Sheriff Nocco: "The worst case scenario happened and it breaks our hearts."
— Pasco Sheriff (@PascoSheriff) November 7, 2017
Sheriff Nocco stated, "Roy was the most down to earth person."
— Pasco Sheriff (@PascoSheriff) November 7, 2017
He last played in 2013 for the Philadelphia Phillies. He accumulated 203 wins in his 16 years with the Blue Jays and Phillies. He is known for pitching a perfect game against the Florida Marlins in 2010 and a no-hitter in the playoffs against the Reds in 2011.
On a personal note, I am absolutely heartbroken as Halladay was one of my personal heroes as a kid. Before I really knew baseball stats, I was angry that Roy Halladay didn’t win the Gold Glove in 2010 because I thought all of the awards should go to Halladay. My heart hurts for his wife Brandy and his two children, Braden and Ryan. May God enjoy the ace he added to his rotation.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
