By Gina Morrone ’14

For the past three years, Philadelphia has had a mantra: Every fifth day is a Halladay.

Well, those days may be coming to an end.  I’ll spare the doctor jokes, but the Doc is out.  After over a decade of impeccable pitching, he’s been placed on the 15-day DL. He will have arthroscopic surgery to repair a bone spur in his right shoulder, and it’s pretty obvious that the two-time Cy Young Award recipient just isn’t who he used to be.

When I think about Halladay, I think of 2010.  I think of his work ethic, and I think of his successes.  I remember when he showed up early for spring training, I remember his Cy Young.   Mostly, I remember the perfect game.  His embrace with Chooch.

In May 2010, Roy Halladay silenced Miami. But in 2013, the sad-sack Marlins rocked him, scoring nine runs in less than three innings, bringing his ERA this year up to 8.65.  After more than 2,721 innings in the majors, Halladay will assume a new role in baseball.

After being celebrated for years as arguably the best pitcher in baseball, Halladay have to find success in other areas of the game.  He won’t rack up 20 wins on the mound this year, but there’s no denying his leadership ability.  He will persevere and accept his new role, whatever that will be.  He will succeed in anything he attempts, and I would love to see him take a leadership role within the league.  He has the skills and drive to motivate those around him, and I truly think the league would benefit by keeping him around.

With R2C2 just a memory from 2010, and a less than thrilling season unfolding for the Phillies, perhaps Roy Halladay is just excusing himself at just the right time.

No matter which team’s cap you wear, you’ve got to admit that Roy is a talented player, and a pleasure to watch.  His finesse will be sorely missed, but I know his legacy as one of the best in baseball will live on.