While considered to be a future Hall of Famer in the 2019 class of inductees by many, Roy Halladay will not have the thrill from the phone call he may get.
Roy Halladay, former pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies, died from crashing his personal aircraft off the Gulf of Mexico.
At first, it appeared that blunt force trauma was the cause of his death. Now, people are not so sure.
Recent findings show that a toxic dose of amphetamines was in Halladay’s system while flying his personal aircraft.
“Amphetamines are commonly used as an athletic performance enhancer and can induce a feeling of euphoria or intense excitement and happiness,” Melinda Harrison, associate professor of chemistry at Cabrini, said. “It also can cause increased wakefulness and improved cognitive control. It induces physical effects such as decreased reaction time, fatigue resistance and increased muscle strength. Larger doses of amphetamine may impair cognitive function and induce rapid muscle breakdown.”
Morphine was also found in Halladay’s system but could have been from days prior from taking a sleeping aid.
Halladay was seen flying his personal aircraft very low to the ocean water. Once he got that low, he would then rise back up. All of this was caught on film from bystanders in their boat.
That rapid movement could have been from the amphetamines in his system. That level of amphetamines in his system could have caused erratic behavior while flying an aircraft.
After examining the autopsy, Dr. Dennis Shanahan, who is an injury analyst formerly with the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory, reported Halladay was, in fact, breathing after the plane crashed into the water. It is now known that other injuries from the impact of the plane crash likely incapacitated him.
Some people argue the fact that the boaters did nothing to try to rescue Halladay from the plane crash; however, the Coast Guard arrived shortly after the boaters were on the scene.
“He brought a fierce, bulldog mentality on the mound and he displayed that same attitude off the field,” said Paul Bendetti, Phillies guest services employee. “He left an impression on this organization that will never be forgotten.”
Roy Halladay originally pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays before eventually being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Halladay was a 2-time Cy Young award winner with the Blue Jays.
While playing for the Phillies, Halladay managed to pitch a perfect game along with a postseason no-hitter along with multiple other no-hitters. Halladay was the ace of the Philadelphia Phillies over his four years on the team.
When the news of Halladay’s tragic plane crash was released, the Phillies released their statement on Twitter. Along with the Phillies, other players who have had the privilege to play alongside Halladay shared their feelings on Twitter. Especially from his time with the Phillies, players like Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, Ryan Howard and Roy Oswalt were devastated by the news.
Other players in the baseball community who expressed themselves were Pedro Martinez, Alex Rodriguez, Marcus Stroman and Andrew McCutchen. It was no secret that Roy Halladay was very talented and loved by the entire baseball community.
It is known that his wife, Brandy Halladay, fought hard with Roy Halladay about purchasing a personal aircraft, let alone flying it himself. After fighting hard on the plane, Brandy Halladay understood her husband’s passion for wanting to fly after flying with him as the pilot.
Halladay’s father was a corporate pilot as he grew up. Halladay had always wanted to get his pilot license, but being a professional baseball player held that dream back. After retiring in 2013, he received his pilot license along with the purchase of an ICON A5 aircraft.
On Nov. 14, there was a remembrance for Roy Halladay as friends and family gathered in the spring training home to the Philadelphia Phillies, Spectrum Field. Chase Utley, Cole Hamels, Chris Carpenter and Charlie Manuel were all in attendance.
