Phillies: Making a Case for Future Hall of Fame Candidates

Roy Halladay

When Steve Carlton took the mound, everyone called it “win day.” Roy Halladay owned a stretch of time in which he could win any game he started, yet continued to amaze all who witnessed his greatness. Roy Halladay was one of the greatest pitchers of his generation, accumulating numbers that rival Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz.

In the history of baseball, only six pitchers have won the Cy Young award in both the American and National League: Gaylord Perry, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Roy Halladay and Max Scherzer. The first three are in the Hall of Fame, Clemens’ has a tainted case, and the other two are not yet eligible. Over the stretch of his 16-year career, Halladay finished in the top-five in Cy Young voting seven times. If you eliminated his first four seasons when he was recreating himself while jumping between the rotation and bullpen, you can say Halladay was a Cy Young contender for 7 of his 12 major league seasons.

Over the stretch of his 16-year career, Halladay finished in the top-five in Cy Young voting seven times. If you eliminated his first four seasons when he was recreating himself while jumping between the rotation and bullpen, you can say Halladay was a Cy Young contender for 7 of his 12 major league seasons.

For five consecutive seasons, Halladay led baseball in complete games while winning no fewer than 16 games, and losing no more than 11.

He threw the 20th perfect game in major league history, and just the second post-season no-hitter ever. To have both of those events occur in your career is one thing, but for them to happen in a new city in the same season.

When Doc’s name appears on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2019, fans should anticipate a road trip to Cooperstown.