For the first time since 2009, a Halladay was on the mound in a Blue Jays game. And though Roy Halladay’s Toronto farewell was emotional, there were more tears shed this time.
Braden Halladay, the 17-year-old son of the baseball legend who was killed in a November plane crash, suited up for the Canadian Junior National Team on Saturday and pitched an inning against the team his father would have represented when and if he becomes inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The high school junior, who is committed to Penn State, was born in Canada — Roy played in Toronto from 1998-2009. And now he says he considers himself a dual citizen, even if he’s not sure he has the paperwork to back that up.
So a Halladay faced off against the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla., on a mound Roy toed and pitched from as a youngster. And even if he doesn’t have the arsenal (yet) his father had — his fastball was in the low 80s, his breaking stuff in the upper 60s — the guile made you do a double-take. Entering in the bottom of the eighth, Braden retired the three batters he faced, including stud prospect and fellow notable baseball offspring Bo Bichette.
“I told him I got a lot of my lanes, repertoire, from his father,” Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman told MLB.com. “As far as cutting the ball, sinking the ball and having it come out of the same arm slot. I think Roy was the first one to do that exceptionally well in his career. I told him that. He said he’s a big fan of mine, which is pretty crazy to hear, still, when your dad is Roy Halladay. Awesome to see him. I wish him nothing but the best.”
The voice of Roy has not left Braden.
“At least from my perspective, he knows everything about everything as far as pitching goes,” Braden said. “From a pitching standpoint, it was everything I could have asked for and more. … Especially now, every time I make mistakes, I still hear him drilling me about them in my head, just because he’s done it so many times before. From a mind-set standpoint, I don’t think with any bias that I could have had a better teacher.”