http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Halladay+plans+even+better/4370850/story.html
Roy Halladay plans: Get even better
In a scary thought for opposing batters, Phillies' ace Roy Halladay has been working on his stuff. Matt Gelb reports
By Matt Gelb, Mcclatchy Tribune NewsMarch 2, 2011
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay walks to the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning of their MLB Grapefruit League baseball game in Dunedin Florida, February 28, 2011.
Photograph by: Mike Cassese, Reuters
Early spring training outings for Roy Halladay actually serve a purpose beyond rounding into pitching shape for his opening-day start April 1 at Citizens Bank Park.
The best pitcher in baseball says he has a few plans before he heads north. They are designed to make him even better. "I'm always trying new things," Halladay says. "There's a couple I want to try."
OK, so what could a pitcher who issued only nine more walks (30) than he had wins (21) while throwing a perfect game and no-hitter on his way to winning the Cy Young Award have to improve?
It's a secret.
"I'm going to keep them in my pocket until I decide whether they work," Halladay says. "Even then, I might not tell anyone except my catcher."
This much is certain about Halladay: There is rarely, if ever, a time when he is simply going through the motions.
On Monday, he returned to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, the place where he spent spring training for the first 15 years of his professional career.
Halladay pitched two uneventful scoreless innings in a 6-3 victory for the Phillies against the Toronto Blue Jays, allowing two hits and one walk.
Before Halladay took the mound, the public-address announcer at the Jays' Dunedin park encouraged the fans to give their former ace "a warm welcome." They did.
There will be a more extravagant homecoming in early July, when the Phillies travel to Toronto for an interleague series. A Blue Jays official said the team had plans to honour Halladay and would do so on a day during that weekend he did not pitch.
Monday allowed Halladay the chance to feel nostalgic.
"I got sent down four times in the office back here," Halladay said. "The last time was to A-ball. So I'll be glad to get out of here today."
This spring, he is noticeably more comfortable around the Phillies clubhouse: more smiles and jokes included. He spends most mornings eating breakfast at a table in the middle of the room with some of his teammates. Last spring, Halladay was a ghost in the clubhouse, constantly passing through but never staying very long.
In Year 2, he has gained comfort with his new surroundings. The National League should beware.
"Breakfast is really the only time during the day that we're all in one place, until things tighten up until the end of camp," Halladay said.
"We're all kind of spread out in different groups. It's just getting the chance to get to know guys, talking a little bit of baseball, a little bit of everything. That's a big part of spring training, getting to know your teammates and seeing what they're all about."
Two of Halladay's relationships are strong. This spring, he need not worry about establishing a rapport with catcher Carlos Ruiz and pitching coach Rich Dubee. That, Halladay said, had allowed for more productive conversations on adjustments and what to experiment with during Grapefruit League play.
Now the attention is on refining.
"I felt like there were times I was really limited to one or two pitches during the course of a game," Halladay said. "If I can just find a way to keep things more consistent where I always feel like I have more than two or three options, obviously that would be ideal."
Ruiz says Halladay appears more relaxed in the clubhouse, but he's not exactly changing his personality.
"He's a great teammate," Ruiz said. "Some guys like to talk. Some guys are quiet. Roy is quiet and intense."
This spring, however, Halladay is making an effort to blend in with the rest of the team as opposed to being the cover boy everywhere.
He's sharing the spotlight, and enjoying it.
"Last year was fun and exciting," Halladay said, "but this year is a little more normal. It more like me."
© Copyright (c) McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay walks to the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning of their MLB Grapefruit League baseball game in Dunedin Florida, February 28, 2011.
Photograph by: Mike Cassese, Reuters
Roy Halladay plans: Get even better
In a scary thought for opposing batters, Phillies' ace Roy Halladay has been working on his stuff. Matt Gelb reports
By Matt Gelb, Mcclatchy Tribune NewsMarch 2, 2011
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay walks to the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning of their MLB Grapefruit League baseball game in Dunedin Florida, February 28, 2011.
Photograph by: Mike Cassese, Reuters
Early spring training outings for Roy Halladay actually serve a purpose beyond rounding into pitching shape for his opening-day start April 1 at Citizens Bank Park.
The best pitcher in baseball says he has a few plans before he heads north. They are designed to make him even better. "I'm always trying new things," Halladay says. "There's a couple I want to try."
OK, so what could a pitcher who issued only nine more walks (30) than he had wins (21) while throwing a perfect game and no-hitter on his way to winning the Cy Young Award have to improve?
It's a secret.
"I'm going to keep them in my pocket until I decide whether they work," Halladay says. "Even then, I might not tell anyone except my catcher."
This much is certain about Halladay: There is rarely, if ever, a time when he is simply going through the motions.
On Monday, he returned to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, the place where he spent spring training for the first 15 years of his professional career.
Halladay pitched two uneventful scoreless innings in a 6-3 victory for the Phillies against the Toronto Blue Jays, allowing two hits and one walk.
Before Halladay took the mound, the public-address announcer at the Jays' Dunedin park encouraged the fans to give their former ace "a warm welcome." They did.
There will be a more extravagant homecoming in early July, when the Phillies travel to Toronto for an interleague series. A Blue Jays official said the team had plans to honour Halladay and would do so on a day during that weekend he did not pitch.
Monday allowed Halladay the chance to feel nostalgic.
"I got sent down four times in the office back here," Halladay said. "The last time was to A-ball. So I'll be glad to get out of here today."
This spring, he is noticeably more comfortable around the Phillies clubhouse: more smiles and jokes included. He spends most mornings eating breakfast at a table in the middle of the room with some of his teammates. Last spring, Halladay was a ghost in the clubhouse, constantly passing through but never staying very long.
In Year 2, he has gained comfort with his new surroundings. The National League should beware.
"Breakfast is really the only time during the day that we're all in one place, until things tighten up until the end of camp," Halladay said.
"We're all kind of spread out in different groups. It's just getting the chance to get to know guys, talking a little bit of baseball, a little bit of everything. That's a big part of spring training, getting to know your teammates and seeing what they're all about."
Two of Halladay's relationships are strong. This spring, he need not worry about establishing a rapport with catcher Carlos Ruiz and pitching coach Rich Dubee. That, Halladay said, had allowed for more productive conversations on adjustments and what to experiment with during Grapefruit League play.
Now the attention is on refining.
"I felt like there were times I was really limited to one or two pitches during the course of a game," Halladay said. "If I can just find a way to keep things more consistent where I always feel like I have more than two or three options, obviously that would be ideal."
Ruiz says Halladay appears more relaxed in the clubhouse, but he's not exactly changing his personality.
"He's a great teammate," Ruiz said. "Some guys like to talk. Some guys are quiet. Roy is quiet and intense."
This spring, however, Halladay is making an effort to blend in with the rest of the team as opposed to being the cover boy everywhere.
He's sharing the spotlight, and enjoying it.
"Last year was fun and exciting," Halladay said, "but this year is a little more normal. It more like me."
© Copyright (c) McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay walks to the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning of their MLB Grapefruit League baseball game in Dunedin Florida, February 28, 2011.
Photograph by: Mike Cassese, Reuters
ope:http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/2011/05/04/halladay_philadelphia/
Halladay remains on his game in Philly
May 4, 2011
Roy Halladay.
BY ROB SHAW
sportsnet.ca
More than a decade ago, Roy Halladay was a fresh-faced hurler on the Blue Jays with all of the tools to succeed in the Major Leagues. However, success did not come easily to the 6'6", Colorado native.
Halladay dominated in his two Major League starts in 1998, but in 1999 was jumping back and forth between the starting rotation and the bullpen, and he nearly had as many walks (79) as strikeouts (82). That season was also memorable since Halladay picked up his first and only MLB save.
After a horrendous 2000 season that was curtailed due to injuries, Halladay bounced back the following season and by 2002, he recorded his first of six seasons with 16 or more wins in Toronto.
Before the blockbuster deal that sent him to Philadelphia, Halladay offered 17 wins, a 2.79 ERA, and 208 K's despite pitching for the 2009 Blue Jays team that finished in fourth place, 12 games under .500.
RELATED
Halladay starts with 18 straight strikes
Phillies team page
In his first year with the Phillies, Halladay picked up his second career Cy Young award, thanks to a 21-10 record and career-high 219 strikeouts. The question Blue Jays fans may be asking themselves is whether Halladay has changed since leaving town?
Let's take a look at how he pitched back in 2009:
Armed with a 92 MPH fastball, a curveball, and a change-up, Halladay relied predominantly on his heater as he threw it 73 percent of the time. This was specifically the case when it came to lead-off batters, as he resorted to throwing smoke for the first pitch 78 percent of the time.
This was often one of the few times that Halladay was vulnerable to the opposition, as opposing batters hit him hard to the tune of a .348 average with nine extra base hits on first-pitch fastballs.
On the other hand, once he got two strikes on the opposition, Halladay worked his curveball in as an out-pitch 32 percent of the time. In comparison, opposing batters hit just .151 against Halladay in these situations.
Now let's turn to 2010, as the Blue Jays ace migrated south to Philadelphia. Halladay again turned to his fastball 78 percent of the time to get ahead of the opposition on a first pitch. Again, the opposition saw the heater coming, as they belted a .329 average on first pitch fastballs.
In other words, Halladay's strategy when leading off a batter had not changed a bit. He will challenge you will a fastball approximately four out of five times, and this is your best chance to make him pay.
The key difference between his 2009 and 2010 seasons is that Halladay's out-pitch was no longer just his curveball. Halladay actually cut down on the curves and threw more change-ups last season (14 percent) when he had two strikes on batters. The off-speed pitches were key, as Halladay limited opponents to just a .138 average with two strikes.
What these trends tell us is once he gets ahead of the count (usually with fastballs) and has two strikes on the opposition, Halladay will then turn to his off-speed pitches.
Since coming to the National League, Halladay has resorted to his change-up more and his curveball less. He is now getting the opposition out at a greater pace in those situations. That helps explain the sudden increase in strikeouts last season.
The statistic that likely tells us how dominant a pitcher is has to be their Whiffs rate. This is simply the percentage of pitches that the pitcher gets the opposition swinging and missing.
In 2009, Halladay recorded a swinging strike on 29 percent of his pitches. This was the identical rate to last year's swinging strikes as well. In comparison, Blue Jays ace Ricky Romero had the opposition flailing at 25 percent of his pitches. Another key difference is that 38 percent of Romero's pitches resulted in balls last season. On the other hand, only 31 percent of Halladay's pitches were outside of the strike zone.
So while the Blue Jays were fortunate to develop a young ace, compared to a likely Hall of Famer such as Halladay, Romero doesn't record as many swings and misses, and he throws more pitches out of the strike zone.
Some good news is that Halladay faced the same type of issues when he first broke into the bigs back in the late '90s.
Halladay remains on his game in Philly
May 4, 2011
Roy Halladay.
BY ROB SHAW
sportsnet.ca
More than a decade ago, Roy Halladay was a fresh-faced hurler on the Blue Jays with all of the tools to succeed in the Major Leagues. However, success did not come easily to the 6'6", Colorado native.
Halladay dominated in his two Major League starts in 1998, but in 1999 was jumping back and forth between the starting rotation and the bullpen, and he nearly had as many walks (79) as strikeouts (82). That season was also memorable since Halladay picked up his first and only MLB save.
After a horrendous 2000 season that was curtailed due to injuries, Halladay bounced back the following season and by 2002, he recorded his first of six seasons with 16 or more wins in Toronto.
Before the blockbuster deal that sent him to Philadelphia, Halladay offered 17 wins, a 2.79 ERA, and 208 K's despite pitching for the 2009 Blue Jays team that finished in fourth place, 12 games under .500.
RELATED
Halladay starts with 18 straight strikes
Phillies team page
In his first year with the Phillies, Halladay picked up his second career Cy Young award, thanks to a 21-10 record and career-high 219 strikeouts. The question Blue Jays fans may be asking themselves is whether Halladay has changed since leaving town?
Let's take a look at how he pitched back in 2009:
Armed with a 92 MPH fastball, a curveball, and a change-up, Halladay relied predominantly on his heater as he threw it 73 percent of the time. This was specifically the case when it came to lead-off batters, as he resorted to throwing smoke for the first pitch 78 percent of the time.
This was often one of the few times that Halladay was vulnerable to the opposition, as opposing batters hit him hard to the tune of a .348 average with nine extra base hits on first-pitch fastballs.
On the other hand, once he got two strikes on the opposition, Halladay worked his curveball in as an out-pitch 32 percent of the time. In comparison, opposing batters hit just .151 against Halladay in these situations.
Now let's turn to 2010, as the Blue Jays ace migrated south to Philadelphia. Halladay again turned to his fastball 78 percent of the time to get ahead of the opposition on a first pitch. Again, the opposition saw the heater coming, as they belted a .329 average on first pitch fastballs.
In other words, Halladay's strategy when leading off a batter had not changed a bit. He will challenge you will a fastball approximately four out of five times, and this is your best chance to make him pay.
The key difference between his 2009 and 2010 seasons is that Halladay's out-pitch was no longer just his curveball. Halladay actually cut down on the curves and threw more change-ups last season (14 percent) when he had two strikes on batters. The off-speed pitches were key, as Halladay limited opponents to just a .138 average with two strikes.
What these trends tell us is once he gets ahead of the count (usually with fastballs) and has two strikes on the opposition, Halladay will then turn to his off-speed pitches.
Since coming to the National League, Halladay has resorted to his change-up more and his curveball less. He is now getting the opposition out at a greater pace in those situations. That helps explain the sudden increase in strikeouts last season.
The statistic that likely tells us how dominant a pitcher is has to be their Whiffs rate. This is simply the percentage of pitches that the pitcher gets the opposition swinging and missing.
In 2009, Halladay recorded a swinging strike on 29 percent of his pitches. This was the identical rate to last year's swinging strikes as well. In comparison, Blue Jays ace Ricky Romero had the opposition flailing at 25 percent of his pitches. Another key difference is that 38 percent of Romero's pitches resulted in balls last season. On the other hand, only 31 percent of Halladay's pitches were outside of the strike zone.
So while the Blue Jays were fortunate to develop a young ace, compared to a likely Hall of Famer such as Halladay, Romero doesn't record as many swings and misses, and he throws more pitches out of the strike zone.
Some good news is that Halladay faced the same type of issues when he first broke into the bigs back in the late '90s.
