RIP Roy Halladay

LoweTek

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May 30, 2005
2,183
Central Florida
My memory of Halladay was when he pitched against the Red Sox at one of the SoSH bash games. He was so on that day the game was over before we went for our second beer. I think game time was less than 2.5 hours. He blew through the lineup.
 

terrynever

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Aug 25, 2005
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pawtucket
When Don Larsen pitched his perfect game, Dick Young made the same analogy. “An imperfect man pitched baseball’s first World Series perfect game.”
 

drbretto

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Apr 10, 2009
12,074
Concord, NH
I can echo all those players at least. Halladay was my biggest fear for much of my peak baseball watching era. Pure respect for his game. Beyond the numbers, he was an absolute competitor who would have had a statue if he pitched for Boston.
 

SemperFidelisSox

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May 25, 2008
31,084
Boston, MA
That was tough to read. It sounds like his substance abuse problems started because of the pain medications he was prescribed during his playing career. I’m not a doctor, but aren’t opiates like morphine and hydrocodone usually prescribed for pain management? Those are all banned substances according to MLB. Was he exempt from testing because team doctors were prescribing them? There’s a lot of unanswered questions here about the role MLB and team doctors played in his substance abuse issues. I’m not slinging accusations per se, just curious about the timeline of his substance abuse.
 

NDame616

will bailey
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
2,313
Quick Google search shows they changed their policy after Skaggs' death to include opiates so I don't think they would have tested him

Also not that I think it matters but I think his wife said his alcoholism pre dated the opiates, so his addiction problems started before the pain killers