The baseball world lost one of its best today. Roy Halladay was an amazing pitcher and an amazing man who impacted many here in the Tampa Bay area.
On Tuesday afternoon, Roy Halladay lost his life when his A5 plane crashed in the Gulf of Mexico.
The former Blue Jays and Phillies pitcher loved flying.
Owning an A5 was something that Halladay had planned since he retired after the 2013 season.
I have dreamed about owning a A5 since I retired! Real life is better then my dreams!! Thx Kirk & everyone @ICONAircraft pic.twitter.com/wkk6TtjAY4
— Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) October 13, 2017
With the Blue Jays and Phillies spring training sites located in Dunedin and Clearwater, it’s no surprise that he chose the gulf coast region as his retirement destination.
Perhaps the only thing that brought more joy to his retirement life, aside from flying, was spending time coaching his son, Braden, at nearby Calvary Christian.
Rays and Kevin Cash share their thoughts
Rays Statement:
“The Rays are shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Roy Halladay. Baseball has lost one of its fiercest competitors. Roy called the Tampa Bay area home, and has long been admired and respected for his work in the community. We offer our deepest condolences to the Halladay family.”
Cash Statement:
“In baseball, players often get lumped into the cliché of either being a great competitor or the strongest worker, but Roy was at the top of the list for both. People saw on TV how he dominated on days he pitched, but it was extremely inspiring for a young player to see his work ethic on the four days in between. I feel very fortunate to have known Roy. The Cash family is deeply saddened for his wife Brandy and their kids.”
Follow @KRSDunn on Twitter
