CLEARWATER, Fla. – A week after Roy Halladay died in a tragic plane crash off the Florida coast, family, friends and fans of the former star pitcher turned out for a celebration of his life to pay tribute to a man who became beloved in two cities for his athletic ability and character.
The pitcher’s mound at Spectrum Field, spring training home of the Phillies, was adorned with Halladay’s uniform numbers, 32 and 34. On the infield behind the mound stood a podium flanked by portraits of Halladay, one from his days with the Toronto Blue Jays and the other from his time with the Phillies. One by one, men who played and worked with one of the greatest pitchers of his era spoke of the impact he made.
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Halladay’s widow, Brandy, tearfully shared stories of how she and Roy met, married, started a family and shared the chores and joys of raising sons Braden and Ryan. She spoke for nearly 20 minutes, transfixing the crowd that came to pay homage to her husband and bringing some in the audience to tears.
“I’ve literally been standing next to a man for 21 years that people could not take their eyes off of,” Brandy Halladay said. “He was awe-striking. He was beautiful inside and out. … Everything I want to be is because of him. I don’t even know how to be me without him.”
It was a heartbreaking speech that revealed the earliest stages of grief Halladay’s family is going through. She told her sons she will always have Roy when she looks at them and urged those who attended to “hug your family a little tighter” and treat every day as a blessing. When she finished, she received a standing ovation.
The mound at Spectrum Field today in Clearwater. Doc's Phillies No. 34 and Blue Jays No. 32 on the bump, right where he'd want them. pic.twitter.com/TGmOchyUkj
— Ben Harris (@byBenHarris) November 14, 2017
A few minutes later, the Halladay family and dozens of close friends seated in the infield released butterflies in remembrance. As cameras focused in on the group, Braden Halladay wiped a butterfly off his hand onto his younger brother’s head. Ryan then put one butterfly on his brother’s face and another in his mother’s hair. The three of them couldn’t help but smile — some of the butterflies were less than cooperative in flying away — and maybe just a little bit of the healing process began for a grieving family.
Brandy Halladay was preceded by seven of the baseball figures Halladay befriended in Philadelphia and Toronto who spoke at the memorial, each of them remembering the two-time Cy Young winner as a man of class, humility and strong character.
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Former Blue Jays general manager J. P. Ricciardi wept as he described how the pitcher had inspired his own sons. “My life is better because Roy ‘Doc’ Halladay was in it,” Ricciardi said.
Said former Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels, “He was not boastful. He was the most humble human being I’ve ever met.”
Longtime Blue Jays trainer George Poulis recalled Halladay chiding him for getting emotional before the 2009 All-Star Game, when Poulis told Halladay how proud he was of how far the pitcher’s legendary training regimen and work ethic had carried him.
“He had a huge heart,” Poulis said. “He was a great competitor, and he loved his family very much.”
Former Phillies second baseman Chase Utley recalled Halladay crediting catcher Carlos Ruiz, pitching coach Rich Dubee and Phillies teammates after pitching a no-hitter in his first career postseason start in 2010, unconcerned with basking in his own spotlight.
“He had the effortless ability to deflect praise onto his teammates,” Utley said.
Chris Carpenter, his former Blue Jays teammate who opposed him as a Cardinal in Game 5 of the 2011 NL Division Series, recalled fishing with Halladay in Brazil one offseason. Halladay thought it would be cool to be able to say they swam in the Amazon River. Sure enough, Carpenter said Halladay bellyflopped off their boat and began backstroking through the murky water, unfazed by the possibility of piranhas.
“We’ll always be able to Google ‘Roy Halladay’ and see all his stats, accomplishments and awards,” Carpenter said. “But what you can’t Google is his heart, his grace, his kindness, his caring for others, his generosity or his love for his family.”
Phillies owner John Middleton and former manager Charlie Manuel also spoke. Each baseball figure received a round of applause when he finished speaking, but the reception for Halladay’s father, Roy Halladay Jr., was notably louder than each of those who preceded him.
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The elder Halladay recalled the hours he and Doc spent playing baseball together and retrieving balls from under the bushes at their house. He described how he deliberately set aside one of his son’s earliest childhood jerseys as a memento – just in case Roy III wound up playing in the major leagues someday. Unfortunately, at some point, he discovered wife Linda using the jersey as a cleaning rag. Apparently, she didn’t share the same baseball dream for her son at that time.
“She laughed,” said Halladay Jr. “She didn’t think it was possible. … I love my son dearly, and I’ll miss him dearly.”
Roy Halladay Jr. walks past a photo of his son, Roy Halladay, after speaking during the memorial service in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
More than 1,000 fans attended the ceremony, clearly touched by an athlete whose unassuming personality transcended his dominant performances on the mound.
Phillies fan Travis Greth exemplifies the impact Halladay made on many of the team’s supporters. Greth never got to meet Halladay, but the Reading, Pa., resident was inspired to travel to Florida specifically for the Halladay memorial. Greth said he appreciated Halladay’s dominance on the field, but it was the pitcher’s character that truly won his loyalty.
“He was a role model, just the way he conducted himself and his work ethic,” Greth said. “And you knew every fifth day when he took the field, you had a chance to see something special.”
Greth saw Halladay pitch many times in person, including a road trip to see the Philadelphia ace play in Toronto for the first time as a member of the Phillies on July 2, 2011. Greth vividly recalled Halladay walking from the dugout to warm up before the game. Section by section, fans stood and applauded Halladay as he made his way to the Phillies’ bullpen.
Clearly, Toronto fans still adored the pitcher who represented the Blue Jays in six All-Star Games.
Phillies fan Travis Greth of Reading, Pa. (Photo by Thomas Neumann)
Wayne Simm and his wife and Treva are Jays fans from Lloydminster, Alberta, who spend their winters in Florida. They have followed the Jays since their inception in 1977, and Halladay remains one of their favorite players. Wayne said they had seen Halladay pitch 15 to 20 times in person in Toronto and during spring training in Florida over the years. There was no question they wanted to be at the ceremony to pay their respects.
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“I think you almost felt like you knew him personally,” said Treva, wearing a pink Jays jersey. “He seemed to be a gentle bear.”
Said Wayne, “He was down to earth. He didn’t think he was up on a pedestal.”
Blue Jays fans Wayne and Treva Simm of Lloydminster, Alberta. (Photo by Thomas Neumann)
David Vallery attended the memorial wearing a T-shirt that proclaimed “Every fifth day is a Halladay” on the back. The shirt is a souvenir of a road trip with about 60 patrons from the Maple Glen Tavern in Montgomery County, Pa. The group traveled to Washington for the 2010 season opener, which just happened to be Halladay’s debut with the Phillies.
As much as Vallery enjoyed seeing Halladay and the Phils romp to an 11-1 win over the Nationals that day, Vallery said his favorite Halladay performance was the no-hitter that would come six months later against the Reds. It was Halladay’s first postseason appearance, and one walk in the fifth inning was all that kept him from a perfect game. Vallery isn’t about to let it go.
“That 2-2 pitch to Jay Bruce was a strike,” Vallery said emphatically, but with a grin.
The back of the shirt worn by Phillies fan David Vallery to Roy Halladay’s memorial service. (Photo by Thomas Neumann)
Morgan Dynda, a Phillies fan from Ridley Park, Pa., saw Halladay pitch many times in Philadelphia and at spring training. She cherishes the time her father arranged the chance to meet Halladay before a game at Citizens Bank Park several years ago. Like so many of the eight-time All Star’s fans, Dynda said Halladay the person made it easy to root for Halladay the pitcher.
“He wasn’t just a great ballplayer,” Dynda said. “He had the personality and character.”
Samuel Parker has been the head usher at Spectrum Field since it opened in 2004. He’s seen a lot of ballplayers come and go over the years. Some are aloof. Most are businesslike. Halladay was one of a few who always seemed to go out of his way to say hello.
“He was a great pitcher,” Parker said. “But as time went on, I found him to be an even better human being.”
Roy Halladay’s memorial service program. pic.twitter.com/UKR9hRZKFG
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) November 14, 2017
> Remembering Roy Halladay: Six stories from The Athletic
Top photo: Brandy Halladay talks about her husband during the public memorial service for Roy Halladay at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
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