By Jeff
I'm shocked RJ isn't all over this already. The headline pretty much says it all. Roy Halladay pitched the second no-hitter in MLB postseason history in a Philadelphia Phillies 4-0 win in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds. And here's the kicker, the game was Halladay's first postseason appearance ever.
Don Larsen pitched one for the New York Yankees in 1956, a perfect game, but that was his third postseason start. It doesn't cheapen Larsen's achievement, but it shows how great Halladay really is.
Up until this year, I constantly told anyone who would listen that Halladay was the best pitcher in baseball not to pitch in the playoffs. Now he has one of the greatest playoff performances in the game's history. I don't care if it's only the NLDS, this was the biggest game of his life and he responded better than anyone imagined he would.
In another history lesson, this is Halladay's second no-hitter of the season. May 29, he had a perfect game in Florida against the Marlins. Halladay is only the fifth pitcher to accomplish this feat. Only Allie Reynolds, Virgil Trucks, Nolan Ryan and Johnny Vander Meer have done it.
I missed the first couple innings because of my drive home, but the fourth inning on was incredible. During most no-hitters, batters get some good wood on the ball and the no-hitter is saved by heroic defensive efforts. Halladay didn't need any web gems from his team. The Reds were helpless against Doc.
What makes all of this so much better is that Halladay is a great guy. He's never complained about a lack of run support, he's never demanded a trade from Toronto when the team was crap and he works harder than anyone in the league. In an era filled with cheaters and egos, Halladay is a true role model who plays the game the right way. Maybe it's my fandom taking over, but is it too early to say he's going to the Hall of Fame? I don't think so.
Huey Lewis and the News - Perfect World
I thought I couldn't post anything anymore, ha. Having seen some of his no-hitter on TV, I thought he was much sharper with his command tonight.
ReplyDeleteYou and I have already gushed about what a great person he is and if you need more evidence of that, look at his interviews tonight and how quick he was to praise catcher Carlos Ruiz. One ball in the third from Travis Wood needed a nice catch by Werth but he got a good read on it. I would have posted something but I needed to relax a bit after the game; I tend to take these postseason games a little intense.