Most Blue jay fans probably don’t realize that the team is still playing right now. For those that do, they would have witnessed (or at least known about) two phenomenal starts from Roy Halladay down the stretch.
On September 25, in what may be his last start at Rogers’ Center as a Jay, Halladay spun a gem against the Mariners, to the tune of 9IP, 0ER, 7H, 0BB, 9K. It was a complete game domination we have come to expect, though that doesn’t make it any less spectacular.
On September 30 at Boston, in what may be his last start as a Jay, period, Halladay shut down a potent Red Sox lineup, posting a mesmerizing 9IP, 0ER, 3H, 2BB, 6K. Again, complete dominance we have come to expect and take for granted.
While many are hopeful that these won’t be his last starts as a Blue Jay, it would be a fitting way to end a 12-year tenure where he has set franchise records in almost everything. His career line stands at 148-76 over 313 appearances (287 starts), 1.20 WHIP, .255 AVG against, 3.43 ERA, 1495 K, 2046.2 IP, 49 complete games, and 15 shutouts.
Arguing Halladay as one of the best pitchers of all time is an article for another day, and his place as the Greatest Blue Jay Ever is simply not up for debate. What he has brought to the franchise and the city is one of those unspeakable experiences being sports fans affords us; we can not describe it to a non-Jay fan, but every one of us will somehow hurt if he leaves the team this offseason.
But this piece isn’t meant to be a pre-emptive goodbye or reminiscing. Instead, the point of this article is to posit one more time a debate that Jays’ fans have argued for a decade now:
Be it resolved that Roy Halladay should be the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner.
More after the jump!