NewsDoc among Jays' hardware hopefuls
Cy Young would be second for righty, who won in '03
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com
11/12/09 6:06 PM EST
TORONTO -- Roy Halladay walked off the mound at Rogers Centre and raised his hat high into the air, acknowledging the loud standing ovation offered from the fans. In his final home outing of the 2009 season, the Blue Jays' ace had fashioned a shutout victory over the Mariners.
Five days later, Halladay did it again, blanking the Red Sox at Fenway Park in his last start of the year.
It was a magnificent close to another masterful campaign for Halladay, who finds himself again in the running for the American League Cy Young Award. Over the next three weeks, the 2009 hardware will be handed out, and Halladay is among a small group of Toronto players in the mix for season-end accolades.
On Tuesday, the AL Gold Glove Award winners were announced, and no Blue Jays were on the list. On Thursday, Aaron Hill and Adam Lind were both winners of Silver Slugger Awards, given to the top offensive performers at each position in both the AL and National League.
Blue Jays left-hander Ricky Romero has an outside chance of contending for the AL Rookie of the Year Award, which will be handed out on Nov. 16. Romero emerged as a reliable No. 2 starter behind Halladay, who took home the AL's Cy Young Award in 2003 and was the runner-up for the honor a season ago. This year's AL Cy Young Award will be revealed on Nov. 17.
Given that Halladay's contract expires after the 2010 season, and that the Blue Jays are in the midst of a transition period, the ace pitcher faces an uncertain future in Toronto. If Halladay winds up being dealt this winter, making 2009 the final chapter in an impressive run with the Jays, the horse of Toronto's staff gave fans something to remember.
Over the season's final month, Halladay picked up four wins and posted a 1.47 ERA, completing four games and spinning three shutouts during that incredible finish. Halladay finished with a Major League-leading nine complete games and four shutouts, using his economical style to also lead baseball with a 5.94 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Halladay ended the year with a 17-10 record and a 2.79 ERA, marking the fourth straight season in which he compiled at least 16 victories and the second straight year in which he had an ERA under 2.80. In the AL, Halladay ranked first in pitches per inning (14.2), second in innings (239), ground balls created (366) and walks plus hits per inning (1.13), as well as third in ERA and fifth in strikeouts (208).
In the race for the AL's top pitching honor, Halladay is up against an impressive field that includes Cy Young favorite Zack Greinke of the Royals, as well as Felix Hernandez of the Mariners, CC Sabathia of the Yankees and Justin Verlander of the Tigers.
Romero appeared to be a leading contender for the AL Rookie of the Year Award midway through 2009, but his performance dropped down the stretch. Romero finished the year 13-9 with a 4.30 ERA, ranking second among AL rookies in wins and strikeouts (141), and third in innings (178). Other candidates include Oakland's Andrew Bailey, Chicago's Gordon Beckham, Detroit's Rick Porcello, Tampa Bay's Jeff Niemann and Texas' Elvis Andrus.
Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
