Roy Halladay touched the lives of many in the Phillies organization, especially their young pitchers
Roy Halladay’s untimely passing in a plane crash has shocked the baseball world from the fan to former teammates. Doc had a unique ability on the mound that will lead him posthumously to Cooperstown, but his work ethic before, during, and after the took the mound is what made him the Hall of Fame pitcher and person we knew him to be.
After retiring in 2013 Halladay stressed his desire to be with his family, especially his two sons as they worked their way up in the world of baseball. The Phillies often brought Halladay in during spring training in Clearwater, just a short drive from Halladay’s home in Florida, to work with young pitchers.
With an interest in sports phycology, Doc helped young pitchers in their development not just from pitching mechanics, but to their mental makeup.
Phillies prospect Nick Fanti told That Ball’s Outta Here that Halladay had a profound impact on him when they met for an extended period of time last year.
"I just feel privileged to have worked with him… I didn’t have a crazy amount of time spent with him, but I did have one long conversation with him about mental toughness and how to handle my time off the field and I am just so happy to have crossed paths with such a professional"
Fanti, 20, was a 31st round draft pick by the Phillies in 2015 and has excelled in the minor leagues. After going a perfect 7-0 with a 1.57 ERA in 2016 for Philadelphia’s rookie ball club he graduated to Single-A Lakewood. His success carried over with a 2.77 ERA in 21 starts for the BlueClaws.
Some of his success can be attributed to things he learned from Halladay during their conversation about mental toughness, talking about “quick tempo and just being prepared to pitch… he was big on what you did to get ready to pitch.”
Next: Baseball world reacts to the death of Roy Halladay
Halladay is survived by his wife Brandy and two sons Braden and Ryan. He was 40 years old.