Opening day salute to Halladay
TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays will retire former pitcher Roy (Doc) Halladay’s No. 32 on opening day.
Halladay, 40, died Nov. 7, 2017 when the plane he was flying crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. The Jays will retire Halladay’s uniform March 29 when they host the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre. He’ll join Roberto Alomar (No. 12) as the only players in club history to have their jerseys retired.
“Through Roy’s values, pride, work ethic, and perseverance, he epitomized what it means to be a Blue Jay,” club president/CEO Mark Shapiro said in a statement. “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.”
The Blue Jays will also celebrate Halladay’s career prior to the game and a No. 32 patch will adorn the club’s uniforms throughout 2018. Halladay spent 12 seasons with Toronto, amassing a 148-75 record in 313 games. He captured the ’03 Cy Young Award after winning a clubrecord 22 games and made six all-star appearances as a Blue Jay.