Blue Jays Will Retire Roy Halladay's Jersey Number on 2018 Opening Day

The Toronto Blue Jays announced Monday that they will retire the jersey of former pitcher Roy Halladay on Opening Day:

Halladay died in a plane crash in November. An autopsy showed he had "morphine, an amphetamine and the sleeping medication Ambien" in his system at the time of his death, along with a blood-alcohol content of 0.01 percent and the antidepressant Prozac, according to A.J. Perez of USA Today.

He crashed into the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Tampa on Nov. 7 while piloting a "single-engine, light-sport category aircraft," per Perez. The National Transportation Safety Board found that the plane "made steep climbs before descending to a few feet from the water multiple times and performed a 360-degree turn before the crash."

Halladay, who was 40 at the time of his death, played 16 years in MLB, finishing as an eight-time All-Star and two-time Cy Young Award winner. He went 203-105 in total, registering a 3.38 ERA, 1.178 WHIP and 2,117 strikeouts in 2,749.1 innings.

He spent the first 12 years of his career with the Blue Jays, where he established himself as one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball. Toronto traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2010, and he helped lead them to two postseason appearances. 

"Through Roy's values, pride, work ethic, and perseverance, he epitomized what it means to be a Blue Jay," club president and CEO Mark Shapiro said in a statement released by the team. "And while his legacy is clear, it goes far beyond the number on his back or his on-field accomplishments, serving as a shining example of how to live a meaningful life and positively impact others."