MLB: 34 forever! Phillies recalls ‘Doc’ Roy Halladay’s number

The weekend of Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame came to an emotional close on Sunday in Citizens Bank Park, since the number 34 of Roy halladay he was posthumously removed by the club.

Halladay’s wife, Brandy, and their two children, Braden and Ryan, were unable to attend Sunday after a family member tested positive for COVID-19. But Brandy sent a message through Halladay’s former teammate, Raúl Ibáñez, who told the crowd: “She said that Philadelphia will always be her home away from home”:

Halladay spent four seasons with the Phillies (2010-13), winning the National League Cy Young Award in 2010 and making a pair of National League All-Star teams (2010-11). The right-hander also pitched two of the best games in club history, furthering his legacy in Philadelphia.

Halladay pitched a perfect game against the then Florida Marlins on May 29, 2010, just the second perfect game in Phillies history (Jim Bunning, 1964). Then, on October 6 of that same year, Halladay pitched the second no-hitter in MLB postseason history, dominating the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of the NLDS.

Halladay, who tragically died on November 7, 2017 at age 40, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, in July 2019.

No. 34 becomes the Phillies’ eighth rooftop number retired at Ashburn Alley, joining Richie Ashburn (1), Robin Roberts (36), Steve Carlton (32), Mike Schmidt (20), Bunning (14). ), Jackie Robinson (42) and Dick Allen (15).

Among those attending the ceremony were former teammates Ibáñez, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Kevin Frandsen and Carlos Ruiz and former general manager Rubén Amaro Jr., manager Charlie Manuel and pitching coach Rich Dubee.

Ibáñez shared a story about one of his earliest memories of facing Halladay during the pitcher’s days in Toronto.

It may interest you: When a Mexican saved the Perfect Game for Roy Halladay 10 years ago

Phillies managing partner John Middleton and Ruiz, Halladay’s catcher for his perfect game and postseason no-hitter, revealed a six-foot-tall No. 34 statue in Third Base Plaza. Moments later, Carlton, standing just below his retired number 32, revealed Halladay’s number 34 on the brick wall at the end of the ceremony.

Rafael Martinez

I am fond of the King of Sports, especially the Boston Red Sox in MLB and in general all of Mexican baseball. This profession has given me the opportunity to cover major events such as the Caribbean Series, LMB All Star, LMP (uninterrupted since 2009), signings of important players. I had the chance to attend the 2013 World Classic in Arizona, USA, albeit as a fan. Apart from this beautiful sport, I love basketball, where I have also narrated games and even an NBA friendly 10 years ago, but I carry baseball in my veins. Bachelor of Communication Sciences from the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS) , from which I graduated in 2011. I was born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa and started in the world of sports journalism in 2004 in the newspaper El Sol de Mazatlán, where I was a baseball columnist and reporter at the same time. In January 2009 I came to El Debate as a journalist reporter and it was almost six years (in the first stage), until in November 2014 I emigrated to the radio providing my services in Línea Directa-Grupo RSN. My cycle there ended in July 2019 and within days, El Debate gave me another opportunity to work and opened the doors for me again. That is how I came to Al Bat, where I have been since 2019 as a web journalist.

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