Blue Jays to retire Halladay’s number
In honour of the late Roy (Doc) Halladay, the Toronto Blue Jays will retire his uniform number 32 on Thursday, March 29, as part of the team’s opening day ceremonies when they host the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre.
Halladay will join Roberto Alomar (12) as the only players in franchise history to have their uniform numbers retired.
“Through Roy’s values, pride, work ethic, and perseverance, he epitomized what it means to be a Blue Jay,” said Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro. “And while his legacy is clear, it goes far beyond the number on his back or his onfield accomplishments, serving as a shining example of how to live a meaningful life and positively impact others.”
In addition to retiring Halladay’s number, the Jays will celebrate his life and storied career during the pre-game ceremony. Players will also wear a special No. 32 commemorative patch on their uniforms for the entirety of the 2018 season, including Spring Training.
In 12 seasons with the Blue Jays, the Denver, Colo., native posted a record of 148-75 in 313 games with 2,046.2 innings pitched and 49 complete games. He is the franchise leader in winning percentage (.661), strikeouts per 9 innings (6.57), and walks per 9 innings (2.00). He also ranks second in franchise history in wins, third in innings pitched, complete games, and ERA (3.43). In 2003, he won the American League Cy Young Award while setting the franchise record with an AL-best 22 wins and led the league in games started (36), complete games (9), shutouts (2), and innings pitched (266.0). He made six All-Star Game appearances as a member of the Blue Jays.
Halladay, 40, died Nov. 7, 2017, when the plane he was flying crashed into the Gulf of Mexico.