Roy Halladay passes away in plane crash at age 40

By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor

Former Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Halladay was killed in a plane crash Thursday, the Pasco Sherriff's Department (St. Petersburg, Florida) confirmed in a press conference. 

Halladay was just 40 years old. 

Nicknamed "Doc," Halladay played 11 plus seasons for the Toronto Blue Jays, establishing himself as his era's most dominant pitcher, despite playing for a team that didn't make the playoffs during his tenure. 

The future Hall of Famer spent the final four seasons of his career in Philadelphia, winning 40 games in his first two years with the club, while posting a league-leading 17 complete games over that time and winning the 2010 National League Cy Young Award.

Halladay retired in December of 2013.

Since the conclusion of his career, Halladay would occasionally send out tweets, often with him performing his new hobby – flying. Halladay also had worked with the Phillies during Spring Training, and taken on a role as a guest instructor for the organization. He also appeared in the National Baseball Congress World Series this past summer, while wearing a Phillies jersey. 

Everyone at SportsTalkPhilly.com offers their deepest condolences to Halladay's family and friends.