Doc hangs up his six-shooter

[biggentleben]

In 2011, Roy Halladay posted a 19-8 record with a 2.35 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 233 2/3 innings (8 complete games!) and missed out on his second consecutive Cy Young award (and 3rd of his career) in voting heavily favoring the win stat (Clayton Kershaw had 21 wins, but Halladay had nearly 2.5 more bWAR on the season). Today, Doc Halladay retired.

 

His shoulder was the main reason for his steep decline, but he said in his press conference today that EVERYTHING was hurting him - his back, his knees, everything except his shoulder.

 

I LOVED watching the man pitch. He was a throwback to an era where guys didn't have 99 mph fastballs in the 7th inning to rely on and had to be pitchers. His held together motion generated deception and movement for him, and he threw 220+ innings six consecutive seasons.

 

He was the definition of an ace - the guy who gave you a great start every start out and went deep in a high number of his games. The debates can now start on a man whose career was started late based on injury and ended early on the same token, but was brilliant in between.

 

A bit of trivia - Justin Verlander was the last to top 250 innings in 2011, Halladay was the last to top 260 in 2003, Randy Johnson was the last to top 270 innings in 1999, Charlie Hough was the last to top 280 in 1987, Bert was the last to top 290 in 1985, and Steve Carlton was the last to top 300 in 1980 (Phil Niekro's 342 IP in 1979 closed out the last decade where every single MLB leader had 250 innings, and the 70s featured back to back 370+ inning guys, something not done since the 1910s).

[Brock Beauchamp]

Surprising. Sounds like a Brad Radke move. Still something left in the tank but has earned enough money and accolades where he decided it's time to quit because his body just doesn't want to go through another 162 game season.

 

Bummer. I also liked watching Halladay pitch. Dude was a straight-up gamer.

[nicksaviking]

Good for Doc. I would have liked to see him able to continue and he was one of the low risk/high reward arms I was hoping the Twins would look into, but I'm glad to see an elite player hang it up because he knows his body can no longer meet the expectations that comes with the name on his jersey.

 

He surely will be an interesting HOF case in five years. He wasn't quite as dominant as Pedro Martinez, but both had a decade of dominance followed by a sudden injury-induced decline and retirement at age 37. I would imagine he gets in fairly quickly.

[notoriousgod71]

Halladay was my favorite pitcher of the past dozen years and it was painful watching him struggle the past year and a half. I am glad he's retiring. I want to remember him as an ace and not the pitcher he became due to injuries.

 

There is nothing better than a legitimate workhorse in baseball and he was the definition of that.