The Toronto Blue Jays are set to honour one of the franchise's greatest players, Roy Halladay. This afternoon, Jays representatives sent out a tweet confirming that the team will retire the late pitcher's No. 32 jersey on opening day, March 29, against the New York Yankees. In addition to this, the squad will also wear Halladay patches on their uniforms throughout the entire regular season. This will be the second number to be retired by the Toronto Blue Jays, the other being Roberto Alomar's No. 12.
Roy, who was a two-time Cy Young winner, tragically passed away last November at the age of 40. The All Star pitcher, who was a veteran pilot, crashed his private plane in the Gulf of Mexico—autopsy reports indicate that Halladay had amphetamines in his system and was likely intoxicated before the fatal accident.
In a public statement, Jays president, Mark Shapiro, spoke glowingly about Doc and called him a model player. "Through Roy's values, pride, work ethic, and perseverance, he epitomized what it means to be a Blue Jay," Shapiro began. "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."
Halladay spent 12 seasons with Toronto, winning the Cy Young award in 2003, and eventually earning 148 wins in the process (placing him second in team history). He finished his incredible career with a four-year stint in Philadelphia.
