Official Baseball In Memoriam Thread

[revo]

Daniel Webb, who pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 2012 until last season when he was rehabbing from TJ surgery, was killed in an ATV accident at the age of 28. RIP.

[heyelander]

Roy Halladay crashed his plane into the Gulf of Mexico and was killed today.

[revo]

That is just insane. RIP to one of the best pitchers of our era.

[TranaGreg]

oh man.

I would go to the park early & get tickets over the bullpen just to watch his pre-game rituals.

this is some sad sad news.

[rhd]

Really shocking. One of the best pitchers of his era. Had a wife and 2 young kids. RIP and condolences to his family.

[Gregg]

Sad sad news. Way too young to say good bye.

[Sour Masher]

So sad. Loved watching him pitch. Seemed like a nice guy.

[heyelander]

I used that picture above because it's how I will remember him... as a Phillies fan he was a fantastic pitcher and the No-hitter in the playoffs was amazing (and I'm a self-professed hater of the word amazing). But I'll always remember him as the guy who was willing to go to the zoo with a fan to complete a city-wide gag, and one fan's dream.

https://www.si.com/mlb/2017/11/07/roy-halladay-zoo-fan-blog

In the winter of 2010, a still-anonymous Phillies fan started a blog with a simple mission.

“The goal of this blog, in the most simple terms, is to convince Roy Halladay to go to the zoo with me,” the inaugural post read. And so the blog was named “I Want to Go to the Zoo With Roy Halladay.”

ZWR, as it became known, gained a steady following and its author eventually parlayed the success into a weekly guest column in the Philadelphia Inquirer. But after nearly four years, it had yet to accomplish its original goal.

That is, until one momentous day in August 2014.

I highly recommend reading ZWR’s recap of the day at the zoo, because it offers a wonderful look at his life beyond the field.

"Roy was amazing with my family, which I appreciated more than anything. He was beyond sweet with my kids, held our baby a bunch (even when he cried), and asked to pose for some pics with both of my kids to send back home to [his wife] Brandy. He truly is a good person."

Halladay died on Tuesday in a plane crash in the Gulf of Mexico at the age of 40. He did plenty of good deeds—like buying a K9 dog for the sheriff’s department that eventually confirmed his death—so it would be irresponsible to say that one day at the zoo tells you all you need to know about him. But it comes pretty damn close.

Here's the recap of the day at the zoo... If you've never heard the story, it's worth the read today.

http://www.zoowithroy.com/2014/08/the-official-zoo-with-roy-zoo-with-roy.html

The Phils' family has lost two really great guys in the past few months.

[onejayhawk]

Not quite Jose Fernandez, but still...

Keep the slider down and away when pitching to Ted Williams. Good luck up there.

J

[revo]

Daniel Flores, the #5 prospect in the Red Sox system who just signed out of Venezuela this past summer, died of cancer at just age 17. RIP.

[madducks]

This was the plane Halladay was flying. It was one of only 20 of the "Icon A5" model made so far. RIP Doc.

[revo]

Bobby Doerr, the oldest living major leaguer and Hall of Famer, died at age 99.

[revo]

Miguel Gonzalez, a Cuban who signed with the Phillies for $48m but had his contract sliced due to injury concerns after a physical, and who briefly reached the majors for them in 2014, was killed in a traffic accident in Havana at age 34. RIP.

[revo]

Tracy Stallard, who served up Roger Maris’ 61st HR in 1961, died at age 80.

[revo]

Rob Picciolo, who was a longtime Padre coach and also played 8 years for the A’s, Brewers and Angels, died at age 64. I think I got his card in every pack I bought. RIP.