In a world flooded with scenes like Antonio Cromartie struggling to name all of his illegitimate children and Albert Haynesworth saying he left his $21 million check lying around the house for a couple weeks; it is good to have something that reaffirms our love for sports. Roy Halladay’s no-hitter Wednesday evening was just such an event.
Halladay, one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball over the past ten years made his post-season debut Wednesday against the National League Central champion Cincinnati Reds. It was well known that he could be successful in the regular season, but no one knew whether or not he could handle the pressure of the post-season. To prove possible doubters wrong he not only pitched well enough for the Phillies to win game 1, he did something that hasn’t been done in 54 years. Halladay stunned the sports world by throwing only the second no-hitter in post-season history, the first since Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series.
Modern sports fans are bombarded by story after story of players quitting on their team or complaining about their multi-million dollar contracts. Every now and then though a moment comes along that makes them forget about the failing economy and their unsuccessful job search; a moment that allows them to smile and remember all the good things in life. A moment they can grab their kids or call their friends to ensure they are enjoying it as well. After the seventh inning of Wednesday’s Phillies-Reds game I began to think that Halladay really could finish the no-hitter. After the eighth inning I called my wife in the room and started calling and texting friends.
After the last out was over, and he had celebrated with his team on the field, Halladay went over to speak with reporters who were eagerly waiting for him by the Phillies dugout. The first thing he told David Aldridge was how great his catcher Carlos Ruiz had been that night and all season. He didn’t come out and say “well, my changeup is just unhittable” (even though it was) or “hey, I’m the best pitcher in the game, what did you expect?” (even though he is). He came out and thanked the man behind the plate who had orchestrated the whole thing, constantly saying that “we” did it. He basically looked like the perfect role model, and the kind of person that kids now-a-days should be looking up to. He also gave sports fans (especially those with children) hope that the sports fans of the future will have someone to look up to that doesn’t get arrested for driving drunk at four in the morning, or shoot themselves in the leg walking into a night club.
There have always been disparities in sports role models, as long as sports have been a public infatuation. Thankfully, for every Ty Cobb there was a Lou Gehrig, and for every Barry Bonds there is a Tony Gwynn. Unfortunately in the modern world with cameras following our role models everywhere they go, catching every intimate moment of their lives, the Peyton Mannings and Cal Ripkens of the world seem to be few and far between. That is why we have learned to appreciate a Roy Halladay, who went out for ten years working his butt off despite playing for a team that had as little a chance to make the playoffs every year as any, before he got his shot this season with the Phillies.
Halladay gave us that moment, a moment that will resonate in our minds for years to come. A moment to stop our lives, and engulf ourselves in sports forgetting about the outside world and all its problems, giving us a chance to watch as a great man achieves something magical. Sports fandom is simply a quest for moments like these, and I personally would like to thank Mr. Halladay for bringing this particular moment into our lives.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.