The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Monday that they will retire Roy Halladay’s jersey number on Opening Day.
The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Monday that they will retire Roy Halladay’s jersey number on Opening Day, when the club hosts the New York Yankees on March 29.
The team will also wear a No. 32 patch on their uniforms the entire season for Halladay, who died when his single-engine plane crashed in the Gulf of Mexico in November.
« Through Roy’s values, pride, work ethic, and perseverance, he epitomized what it means to be a Blue Jay, » Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro said in a statement. « And while his legacy is clear, it goes far beyond the number on his back or his on-field accomplishments, serving as a shining example of how to live a meaningful life and positively impact others. »
Halladay was drafted by the Blue Jays in 1995 and made his debut in the majors in 1998. He spent parts of 12 seasons with the club before he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies after the 2009 season. His best season with the Jays was in 2003, when he went 22-7 with a 3.25 ERA and won his first Cy Young award. He is second all time in wins in franchise history with 148.
Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar’s No. 12 is the only other uniform number retired by the franchise.
