So long Roy

I was and I wasn't surprised by the decision of Roy Halladay to retire today.  I thought he might give it another go, maybe later in 2014 after taking some time to heal. 

With his 37th birthday coming in May, I'm sure that Halladay was probably tired of the grind.  Ready to spend some time with his family.  Ready to get on with his life after the last 2 contracts that should have him set up comfortably for the remainder of his life.

I remember being upset when Roy wanted out of Toronto; in hindsight I can't say that I blame him.  The Jays really weren't going anywhere with the roster that they had, and Halladay was ready to be on a contender.  The trade in late 2009 was Halladay to the Phillies for 3 prospects.  Travis D'Arnaud is now part of the Mets organization.   Kyle Drabek had his 2nd Tommy John surgery in 2012 and is still yet to fulfill his promise.  The 3rd player was Michael Taylor, who was traded to the A's, and eventually through other trades turned into Anthony Gose, a speedster who at just 23 has time to develop hopefully into the leadoff hitter that the Jays need.

So 16 years, 3 20 win seasons and 2 Cy Young awards later, Halladay retires a Blue Jay, via a 1 day contract.  Classy move by the player and by the club, and Roy will likely be honored on the Level of Excellence sometime in the next couple of years (I hope).  When he does earn that honor, he will become the 7th Jays player to be so honored (Bell, Stieb, Carter, Alomar, Fernandez and Delgado). 

While having no World Series ring and "just" 203 career wins will probably not get him into the hall of fame, Roy is a member of two very limited clubs.  He is one of 21 pitchers to throw a perfect game, and only one of 2 pitchers to throw a no-hitter in the post season.  7 straight opening day starts for the Blue Jays is probably a record that will stand for quite a long time as well.

Roy, I hope you enjoy your retirement, and I look forward to watching the ceremony honoring your place in Jays history on the LoE.

Thanks for reading, Robert