Roy Halladay is headed to Cooperstown.The late former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher was selected by voters to gain item to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot.The two-time Cy Young Award winner went 203-104 with a 3.38 ERA in 12 seasons with Toronto and four with Philadelphia. He died in November 2017 at age 40 when the airplane he was piloting crashed into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida.“Of the countless players that have worn the Blue Jays uniform, few have done so with the determination and elegance of Roy Halladay,” Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro said in a statement. “Today is a bittersweet day for our community and organization, as we remember a beloved pitcher, teammate, and family man, but we can take comfort in the boundless impact Roy had on Canadian fans nationwide and the game of baseball. On behalf of the Toronto Blue Jays organization and all of our fans, we congratulate Brandy, Braden, Ryan, and the entire Halladay family on this monumental honour.”In 2010, Halladay pitched a perfect game against the Florida Marlins in May, then threw a no-hitter against Cincinnati in the NL Division Series opener — only the second no-hitter in post-season history after Don Larsen’s perfect game for the Yankees against Brooklyn in the 1956 World Series.Mariano Rivera, another first-timer on the ballot this year, also gained item into the Hall of Fame, as did Edgar Martinez and Mike Mussina.The induction ceremony will be held on July 21 in Cooperstown, N.Y.More to come ...Read more:Halladay looks destined for Cooperstown, but which hat will he wear?Blue Jays saw hall in Halladay on and off the fieldRichard Griffin: Halladay loved baseball but family was his biggest passion
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