Roy Halladay's illustrious career reached another level Tuesday night, as the late Phillies star was announced as a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame's 2019 class.
Halladay, who died in November 2017 when a plane he was piloting crashed into the Gulf of Mexico, was on the ballot for the first time. He will be enshrined July 21 in a ceremony in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Other 2019 inductees include:
_Edgar Martinez
_Mike Mussina
_Mariano Rivera
_Harold Baines and Lee Smith, who were elected by the Today's Game Era Committee in December
Halladay will likely be wearing a Blue Jays cap on his plaque, as the pitcher was already headed to Cooperstown before he arrived in Philadelphia in December 2009. But his four seasons with the Phillies are certainly part of his lore.
His first two seasons in Philadelphia were two of the most dominant years by a starting pitcher in franchise history. Halladay's 2.35 ERA in 2011 is the sixth best by a Phillies pitcher since 1920. His ERA+, a stat that adjusts ERA for a pitcher's ballpark, in 2010 and 2011 are the fourth- and fifth-best marks by a Phillies starter since 1920. He won the Cy Young Award in 2010 and finished second in 2011.
He retired with a 3.38 ERA and a 203-105 record over 16 seasons. He pitched at least 220 innings in eight of 10 seasons from 2002-11. That was the prime stretch of Halladay's career _ he ranked first in wins, first in shutouts, fourth in strikeouts, fourth in ERA, and second in ERA+ over that span.
After 12 seasons, Halladay finally reached the postseason in 2010. And he unforgettably made his October debut by throwing a no-hitter just months after he threw a perfect game. His first two seasons with the Phillies were simply dominant, as he helped lead the team to its final two of five straight division titles.
"Those two years, and I've been around here a long time, but those two years of pitching were almost beyond description," Phillies chairman David Montgomery said on the night of Halladay's death. "I'll never forget the description when we were able to acquire him: We were getting one of the best pitchers in baseball for sure, but we were also getting one of the best people in baseball for sure."
All 425 ballots had Rivera on them. The former Yankees closer becomes the first unanimous selection to Cooperstown.
Halladay received 85.4 percent of the vote, tying with Martinez, who was in his final year on the ballot.
Mussina received 76.7 percent of the vote. Candidates need 75 percent of the vote to be inducted.
Former Phillies pitcher Curt Schilling came in fifth in the voting with 60.9 percent of the vote, up from 51.2 last year. He's followed by Roger Clemens (59.5), Barry Bonds (59.1), Larry Walker (54.6), Omar Vizquel (42.8) and Fred McGriff (39.8).
