Ex-MLB star Roy Halladay, two-time Cy Young winner, dies in plane crash

It’s a sad day for fans of the Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies and baseball fans in general as the two-time Cy Young winner was confirmed to have perished in a plane crash.

When reports first came in that a private plane belonging to ex-MLB star Roy Halladay had crashed off the Gulf of Mexico and that one person had died, baseball fans immediately feared the worst. Unfortunately, those fears have since been confirmed.

During a press conference this afternoon, officials from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office in West Central Florida confirmed that Halladay was the lone person on the plane and that he died when it went down. The crash had initially been reported shortly after 3:00 p.m. Eastern time, and it was not known at the time if Halladay, the owner of the single engine Icon A5, was the deceased person.

Recovery efforts were ongoing at the time of the announcement and a report on the reason for the crash is not immediately expected.

Halladay, 40, was a beloved member of the Toronto Blue Jays from 1998-2009 and the Philadelphia Phillies from 2010-2013. He won a Cy Young Award as a member of both teams, becoming just the sixth pitcher in MLB history to do so in both leagues. His accomplishments also included a perfect game in 2010, one of only 20 at the time, and a no-hitter in the playoffs later that same season.

Nicknamed “Doc” as a reference to famous Wild West figure Doc Holliday, Halladay was an eight-time All-Star who racked up more than 2,000 career strikeouts, so the moniker fit. He was effective all the way through 2011 but forced to retire from baseball just two seasons later due to repeated shoulder injuries.

Halladay is survived by a wife and two children. He’ll surely be missed by fans not only of the teams for which he played but baseball fans everywhere.