TORONTO -- In the end, Roy Halladay went back to his major-league roots.
Shane Doan Jersey . Halladay signed a one-day
contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran
right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors
and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career. Halladay made the
announcement at a news conference in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., site of the
baseball meetings. "As most people know, I was very lucky to have a lot of
people in the organization really develop and help me become the player I was
able to become," Halladay said at a press conference . "And (with) the
organization and the support of the organization, from the front office to the
coaches to the players, it really turned my career around and it made a big
difference in my career and thats why Im very fortunate to retire as a Blue
Jay." Halladay spent his final four major-league seasons with the Philadelphia
Phillies and went to great lengths to express his sincere gratitude to that
organization and its fans. However, he also said he wouldnt have been able to
get a shot with a World Series contender if not for the Blue Jays. "I want the
Phillies organization to know, I want the fans to know how much I enjoyed my
time there. How much they meant to me, how much they meant to my family and what
a major part of my career they were," he said. "But to me the biggest thing was
had I not been fortunate enough to come up with the Blue Jays and have the
people around me that I did and have the people develop me that I did I wouldve
never had that chance." Halladay was drafted 17th overall by Toronto in 1995 and
made his major-league debut with an innocuous but telling two games three years
later as a September call-up. His first game as a Blue Jay was unremarkable. In
a five-inning start against the then Tampa Bay Devil Rays he gave up three runs
and a homer but earned a 7-5 win. A week later, Halladay went the distance
against Detroit. His stat line reads like what Toronto fans would come to
expect: nine innings, eight strikeouts, no walks and just run, a homer in the
ninth inning of a 2-1 victory. The dominant starter, however, wouldnt emerge
until after several ugly seasons that involved an important trip to the minors.
A serviceable season in 99 led to a disastrous 2000 when he finished with a
10.64 earned-run average in just 67 innings pitched. That was the turning point
for Halladay. Instead of giving up on him, Toronto sent him to single-A Dunedin
in 01 to rebuild his pitching mechanics. He was promoted through double- and
triple-A until returning to the Blue Jays on July 2. His first game back was
ugly -- six runs allowed over two-plus innings of relief against Boston. But
Toronto kept him in the majors and he started every game the rest of the season,
finishing with a complete-game shutout against Cleveland for a respectable 3.16
ERA. "There was a period of time I didnt know what was going to happen,"
Halladay said. "Where I probably wasnt as positive as I could be about what my
future was going to be. "But I think through the support of my wife and people
in the organization I was able to find people that really helped me see the
mental side of it and see the positives and thats really where I felt my career
changed." Halladay never looked back. In 2003 he went 19-7 in 02 with 2.93 ERA
in 239.1 innings while earning the first of eight all-star selections. A year
later he won his first Cy Young with a spectacular 22-7 record and 3.25 ERA.
Shoulder soreness landed Halladay on the disabled list twice in the 04 campaign
but he earned another all-star nod the following year. Known for superb
conditioning and a relentless work ethic, Halladay pitched no less than 220
innings every season between 2006-11. But he was unable to lead Toronto into the
playoffs. With the Blue Jays languishing in the AL East and Halladays contract
set to expire in 2010, Toronto shipped him to Philadelphia in December 2009 in
the first significant move by GM Alex Anthopoulos. Toronto sent Halladay to the
Phillies for minor-league prospects Travis dArnaud, Kyle Drabek and
Michael Taylor. "Toronto was hard for me, as much as I loved it there I felt
like I needed to make the decision to give myself the chance to get to the
playoffs," Halladay said. "Thankfully the fans understood that and were very
supportive. "Hopefully they get a chance to experience that also because its a
tremendous feeling." Toronto hasnt reached the baseball playoffs since winning
its second straight World Series title in 93. Pitching with a contender
certainly agreed with Halladay in 2010. He threw a perfect game May 29 against
the then Florida Marlins. Then, in his first-ever playoff outing, he became the
second pitcher ever to throw a no-hitter in the post-season, doing so against
Cincinnati. The Phillies lost to San Francisco in the NLCS that season. His last
shot at an elusive World Series title ended when Philadelphia was beaten by St.
Louis in the 2011 NLCS, as the Phillies failed to make the playoffs the past two
seasons. Halladay amassed a career record of 203-105 in 416 games, 390 being
starts, and an ERA of 3.38. While many pitchers retire due to recurring shoulder
problems, Halladay said hes walking away from the game at a time when his
shoulders are feeling strong. But the veteran pitcher admits hes had to battle
through back issues the last two seasons that have affected his pitching
mechanics. "I had to change some things, do some things differently to be able
to throw the ball and thats led to some shoulder issues," Halladay said. "But
the big thing has really been the back. "Speaking with doctors, they feel like
at this point if I can step away and take some of that high-level pressure off
it, it will really hopefully allow me to do some regular things and help out
with the kids teams. "I want to be active and continue to do the things I enjoy
doing. The biggest thing is Im trying to avoid surgery." Halladay said hes
content walking away from baseball not having won a World Series. "Im very
fortunate I had a chance to get to the playoffs and experience that atmosphere,"
he said. "Ive always wanted to win a World Series and hopefully down the road I
can be a part of it in a different aspect. "Im more comfortable knowing that I
came a little bit short than to never had got that shot. I feel fortunate that I
tried to absorb every minute of it that I could. I really dont have any
regrets." Halladay also wants to be remembered for more than just wins or
losses. "For me it was just not quitting," he said. "I definitely had some bumps
in the road and even when things were good, youre going to have some bad days.
"I didnt ever feel like when I took the mound I gave anything less than my best
effort . . . and Im really proud that I feel like I was able to do that."
Mike Smith Coyotes Jersey .ca provides the
latest rumours, reports and speculation from around the NHL beat.
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suggesting a six-man rotation and the difficulties faced by the Colorado
Rockies.HOUSTON - The Houston Texans have released tight end Owen Daniels and
cornerback Brice McCain. Daniels has spent his entire eight-year career with the
Texans and was elected to the Pro Bowl in 2008 and 2012. He played just five
games last season after breaking fibula in his right leg and finished with just
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Dylan Strome Coyotes Jersey. One of his best
seasons came in 2012 when he had 62 receptions for 716 yards and a career-high
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appeared in all 16 games last season with one start.
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