Doc: The Life of Roy Halladay

by Todd Zolecki

Nobody's baseball story is like Roy Halladay's.He was born and raised to be a superstar. He was a first-round draft pick in 1995. He nearly threw a no-hitter in his second big-league start in 1998. But two years later, Halladay suffered arguably the worst season by any pitcher in baseball history. He was months away from being out of the game.Hall of Fame pitchers do not struggle like that. But Halladay vowed to change. He altered his pitching mechanics and rewired his brain to become one of the greatest pitchers of all time. How did Doc do it? The Life of Roy Halladay tells the remarkable story; based on more than 100 interviews with Halladay's family, friends, managers, coaches, teammates, and competitors, including extensive interviews with his wife, Brandy; comprehensive archival research; and previously unpublished commentary from Halladay himself. Doc not only tells the story of Halladay's illustrious baseball career in Toronto and Philadelphia, but his hard-driven adolescence, his lifelong personal struggles, and his motivation to pay forward the knowledge and philosophies that helped him achieve baseball greatness before his tragic death in 2017.This essential biography is a testimonial for baseball players and pitchers from high school to the big leagues still searching for their path to excellence, like Halladay. It's also a celebration and a profound exploration of a generational pitcher and a beloved teammate, friend, and family man.

Genres: Sports, Baseball, Biography, Nonfiction

361 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 25, 2021

Reviews

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 3 out of 5]

Baseball by the Book #263 070620: "A phenom at 22, nearly out of baseball at 23, Roy Halladay bounced back to become one of the dominant pitchers of the 2000s before injuries derailed his career. Along the way, he earned two Cy Young awards and pitched a perfect game and a postseason no-hitter. Todd Zolecki joins us to discuss the remarkable, tragic story of a pitcher who was groomed for greatness."

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a traditional biography (childhood-death), but its nonetheless very enjoyable.

R.I.P Doc: I grew up watching this guy at the Dome, and you never would've thought that this guy was tormented in the way he was. Just goes to show that anyone can struggle and that its OK to ask for help.

[Margaret Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just realized I never reviewed this. It was so interesting and I learned a lot about Roy Halladay but it was also so very sad. I loved Doc when he pitched for the Phillies and was in Cooperstown when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. I'll always be a fan. When he was at his best, he was THE best. I just wish I (or anyone else) could have helped him when he was in pain and so very unhappy. I wish the best to all his family and friends.

[Alex Lair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great tribute to an amazing person. It can be easy to only focus on a superstar athlete as just that, but this book brings out the human element of Doc in a wonderful way

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a Phillies fan, not necessarily avid, but I will follow them whether they are losing or winning (they lose more than they win). To be honest, I don't pay too much attention to the other teams, so I don't call myself a baseball fan. I didn't even know who Halladay was until at work a co-worker seemed very excited that we had acquired him.

So I knew Halladay as a Phillie, and tried to watch every game he pitched. I loved the passages in the book where Zolecki mentioned a game and moment I had seen. The All-Star game where Halladay and Lee pitched the first and second innings. The game where Halladay was dehydrated and Utley tried to give him a break.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this great pitcher, and I have to thank Mr. Zolecki for the memories.
07/30/24: Reread for a challenge

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roy Halladay had been my favorite baseball player growing up.

My grandmother and I would watch the Blue Jays together during the hockey off season and that is where I first was able to learn and watch Roy. His performances were awe-inspiring, especially given the years the Jays were not able to be competitive in a division with the Yankees, Red Sox and later the statistically savy Rays.

Zolecki was very fortunate to have been able to interview so many people in Roy's life including his Roy's wife Brandy. I feel the book reflects a very honest portrait of a man who was never satisfied of his own work, rarely allowing himself to enjoy his accomplishments. It is sad that Roy was never able to overcome his own demons ultimately leading to his death a few short years after retirement.

The book is also filled with wonderful memories from those who worked with Roy whether it be with teammates, trainers or his family and it was heartwarming to read these stories.

[smallwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

作者鋪陳真讓人感傷
一開始就寫出 Roy Halladay 喜歡開飛機 QQ

唯一覺得意外的是 Doc 是那麼仰賴諮商的選手，也許某方面真的很缺乏自信心卻又追求完美的不服輸 ( 這真的是個悲劇個性 QQ )

兩個聯盟都拿 CYA、no hit game、perfect game 的紀錄都創下了，這樣的選手不能接受自己的衰退吧

Pedro Martinez、Jamie Moyer、Felix Hernandez 都是能妥協自身的衰退而做出調整 ( Ace 變成 No. 4、5 )，我以為悲劇的驕傲個性不容許 Doc 成為拖油瓶吧

這本書對剛出社會的 Rookie 有激勵性、卻呈現一種缺乏妥協自己衰退的黯然

[Freddie Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I miss him all over again, beautifully written!

[Ryan Eaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Todd Zolecki does a great job going over the life of Roy Halladay. From his early years to his tragic death. Growing up a baseball fan I only got to watch Halladay pitch on TV and will always remember his no hitter in the post season. I really enjoyed reading about how Halladay always wanted to make himself better.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sports biographies will always have a soft spot in my heart. In high school, I spent many hours taking the time to read the biographies of athletes that I followed. I always loved to read about the person that wore the uniform. You see, when we look at athletes, we picture them as the epitome of mankind. Often, we forget that they, too, have flaws and struggle with things- they, too, are human.

Todd Zolecki helps paint the story behind the man who wore the numbers 32 and 34 on the baseball diamond. Roy Halladay had a incredible work ethic, almost to a fault, but that is what made the man into who he was. Roy's life has left an impact on the game that can be felt through reading this biography. There is no doubt that Roy was one of the greatest pitchers of this generation. With all of his talent, he never was able to claim that elusive World Series Trophy.

My favorite quote from the book comes from Brandy Halladay's speech at Roy's Hall of Fame induction ceremony: "We are all imperfect and flawed in one way or another. We all struggle, but with hard work, humility, and dedication, imperfect people still can have perfect moments." In two sentences, she encapsulates the struggles of a man who could not deal with the pain in the closing moments of his career. A man who became addicted to opioids and needed to learn to personally deal with his problems.

There is no doubt that Roy dealt with problems and struggles. After all, he was human. But in striving for greatness, there was the realization that baseball was not the end all. After the closing of his career, he knew that he could help other athletes struggling with the same problems he dealt with over the course of his career. Tragically, this calling was cut short due to terrible plane crash. We will never truly know the impact that he could have made on the sport of baseball in his post-career role. But this we know, Roy understood that there was more to life than the game of baseball. It is through the game that a single man is able to have an impact on the life of another.

By looking at Roy's life, we are challenged to realize that each of us has the ability to impact the lives of others. This is achieved in how we live and shape those around us. It is only through our own hard work and dedication that we are able to better ourselves, but through our experiences, we can help others that are going through their own struggles. I pray that we all reach our full potential in this calling.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

29-May-2010 - the best $43 I ever spent on sports. For that was the day I got a ticket behind home plate at a Marlins game to watch baseball's best pitcher.

Miami may not have the most engaged sports fans in the country, but as Halladay sat one guy down after another the stadium picked up an energy in the 6th and 7th inning, as we began to think we might be witnessing history. And I, who would be moving from Miami to Philly in two months, felt the universe was telling me I was making the right call on heading up 95, trading one NL East city for another.

It was an all-time highlight, as the Marlins crowd in a 1-0 game, began cheering for the game's best and most durable pitcher, a man whose complete game and innings pitched totals gave the objective evidence to match the eye test - that Halladay took ownership of games more than any pitcher in his generation. And, given the enormous decrease in the frequency of 7-inning pitchers, must less 9, he will likely be the last to approach every start as though he intended to finish it.

After moving to Philly, didn't slow down, at least not for the next 18 months, as he remained the best in the game. The king stayed the king. He pitched a no-hitter in his first playoff performance, which is where the book begins ...

Halladay had a circuitous route to stardom, when for a minute there it looked like it would be a straight shot. Halladay's dad set up a regulation-sized rubber to plate pitching platform in the basement; Roy grew very tall with a strong arm; his work ethic - gym and charting hitters - was at the top of the game; and Colorado's pitching guru coached him. All was set up for Halladay to be a top pick, and he was, going in the first round to Toronto. He progressed well through the minors, even if his AAA ERA was merely above average. In his 2nd MLB start he almost threw a no-hitter. But, after a 1999 split between AAA & Toronto Halladay fell apart. He wasn't fooling anyone. No movement on his pitches, and he got lit up to the tune of a 10+ ERA!

This is where he, a young man of 23 with a wife and child, could have laid down. But, his wife, a psychologist, and a pitching coach got him back on track, and from '01-'06 he was a top 3 MLB pitcher, leading the league in WAR twice, winning a Cy Young and getting another top 3 finish while going to the All-Star game four times in five seasons.

He missed roughly half of those two years with injuries, and the Blue Jays never made the playoffs. He was crushing it for a team stuck in neutral, and after three more top 5 Cy Young finishes, throwing 225+ innings and 7 or more complete games each year, Toronto did right by Halladay, and dealt him to a Phillies team that had won back-to-back NL crowns.

This was it! A rotation to rival Atlanta's 90s lineup of Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz, this time with Halladay, Lee, Hamels, and Oswalt. With Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Jimmy Rollins this team should coast into another WS. And Halladay lived up to the billing, leading the league in WAR in 2010 & 2011, winning a Cy Young and coming in 2nd when he probably should have won again in 2011. But, two buzzsaws stopped the Phillies in their tracks - the first of the three blessed Giants teams that rode dominant pitching, a great catcher, and an inexplicably excellent offense assembled from castoffs and fourth-stringers to a World Series victory. They knocked off the Phillies in the 2010 NLCS, with Halladay slightly outpitched by Tim Lincecum. No biggie, they'd be back.

However, though this is not covered in the book, the Phillies made a strategic blunder on the last day of the 2011 season, defeating a Braves team in free fall, allowing a red hot Cardinals team that closed out the season with a 37-13 record into the playoffs. Halladay won the first game of the series, but St Louis took two of the next three, setting up a winner take all Game 5 against his friend Chris Carpenter. I stood outside at a park in NoLibs, watching Halladay give up a single run, but his team could not bring a man across the plate against Carpenter. Ryan Howard tore his ACL as he grounded out, and that served as a bold visual of the end of that great Phillies 4-year run. With it, Halladay's chance at a World Series came to a close. And, though who could have known, it was also Halladay's end, at a still relatively young 34, as a great pitcher.

I saw him again from the stands to open the 2012 season, and he was ... different. The pitch selection had changed, the fastball had lost some zip, but the results were still top notch, for a month anyway. Then Atlanta shelled him at the beginning of May, and he only had one more great game, and one more complete game left in him. The Roy Halladay I saw pitch in Cleveland in 2013 was not the same man. That was the 23-year old Halladay with a diminished fastball. No movement, and Cleveland's mediocre offense looked like studs against a guy who had fallen from the Best Pitcher in Baseball 2008-2011 to a guy who was completely done a year and a half later. It hurt to watch, and based on what the book had to say about Halladay's pain killer use, it hurt him to do it.

Hopes that Halladay would become like Maddux in his west coast years, still crafty enough to be a serviceable third or fourth starter, were gone. And for Halladay he had trouble finding what to do. He coached some. He game some speeches. He flew more, and as his dad had been a pilot that seemed to fit. Why not have a great retirement, even if it came a few years earlier than expected? Time to fish, coach his sons, help other young pitchers who hit a wall. Halladay hit a wall at 23 and rebounded to become a Hall of Famer. His story and success would command respect.

Unfortunately, Halladay had issues with substances and depression, and even the most generous account of his flying on the day he crashed into the water off Tampa would describe his actions as reckless. Flying within 75 feet of houses, multiple 45-degree dives. Was he under the influence? Was he looking to end it because he was now Roy Halladay and not ROY HALLADAY and had no idea what to do with that? I don't know, and it doesn't sound like the author does either.

Only gave the book 3 stars because it goes on too much about the psychology of pitching without ever really giving us a great read on Halladay the man. Yes, he was a workaholic, but what was it that apparently broke him so soon after retirement?

It's a sad end to a great career, one that should have included a World Series appearance and an ending not so abrupt. Take a look if you're a Halladay fan, though it may leave you with as many questions as answers.

[Connie Redfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to start by saying I'm very biased. Not only am I a multi-generational Phillies fan, but Todd Zolecki is one of my favorite writers of all time. Not just sports writers, but writers. I used to think that because I was a girl who didn't have experience in the sport of baseball or softball, sports writing wasn't "for me". But I enjoy watching the games, as most women from the Delaware Valley do. I enjoy learning more about the sport every day. Zolecki's beat reporting kept me informed on the Phils, when I was at college in Colorado and even when I was abroad in Romania, and later in countries like Japan and South Africa. And it's such enjoyable writing. I hope Zolecki writes about the Phillies forever.

I remember hearing about Halladay's crash in late 2017. It didn't seem real. But when my (now) husband and I saw his jersey in Cooperstown in May 2018, it somehow made it real. Even though he would have been a first ballot walk-in, the Roy Halladay display felt so out of place so soon because, well, they HAD just installed it with no major fanfare. He was posthumously inducted into the HoF in 2019.

Maybe if he had never come to Philadelphia, maybe if he hadn't gotten so close to the pinnacle of everything he had worked so hard for his entire life, we could have gotten more time with him. But then again, he would not have been the same Doc. Doc wasn't someone who would have made a deal at the crossroads if it got him a ring. He wanted to work for it, and that in and of itself, is what made him a legend. He gave the world of baseball his life. He was, and he will forever be great - just as everyone gone too soon is frozen in time.

Winning a World Series is HARD. Some teams make it look easy. Even with the best lineup in the game, it's still not a script for victory (see the '22 Dodgers, '97 Indians/Guardians, and pretty much every Yankees team from baseball's inception until the 1970 - they didn't win EVERY year). In any sport, there are always legends that will never wear the crown and that's part of what makes it such a cerebral experience. The stars have to align *just* right, and the steps to a World Series are even more grueling.

People often forget that these athletes - these gladiators - are, in fact, people. They have 5-15 years in their careers that they have spent their whole lives working towards, and that's if they actually have the talent and can avoid major injuries. They put their bodies, minds, personal relationships on the line for our entertainment and for the price to become legends. And no one embodied that more than Doc.

For any real baseball fan, this book is a must-read. It doesn't matter if you were a right-fielder in Little League in Missouri or (like me), have never stepped onto a field, the story is important. Doc's legacy to the sport is truly one of a kind, just like he was. ❤️

[Dave Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Straightforward and fairly exhaustive, riddled with minutia from Roy's career (Roy himself being a chronicler of minutia - every workout, every batter faced, and so forth) but also with extended scenes surrounding major milestones. Not stat-heavy, exactly, but with a smattering (WAR, WHIP, other pitching-based ratios), and while it's far from hagiography, it becomes a bit more of a warts-and-all account as Roy's career comes to a close and he encounters difficulties separating from his baseball career and entering retirement. Zolecki really goes deep, and even as someone who was consuming a lot of coverages of the Phillies in those years, there's a ton I hadn't known or read before. In particular, Roy's wife Brandy comes across very strongly on the page - what an unbelievably strong, patient and kind person. The recounting of both the perfect game and postseason no-hitter in 2010 are exhilarating, even all these years later, and the contributions from Phillies players both heralded and less so (some great quotes from Kyle Kendrick and Chad Durbin, if you can believe it) both reminded me of "good old days" and how hard it was to see those teams come up short for several years before totally falling off the table. The whole thing is super-inside-baseball (pun very much intended), so it's not for everyone - although I'd even bump it up to four stars for real baseball die-hards, and for casual-to-serious Phillies (or Blue Jays, I guess?) fans.

[Zach Koenig · Rating 5 out of 5]

During the mid-to-latter years of the 2000s, Roy Halladay was perhaps my favorite single MLB pitcher. I absolutely loved his tenacity and consistency on the mound. In an era where starting pitchers were just starting to really trend downward in terms of innings per game, Doc was still a workhorse who routinely pitched deep into games. Zolecki's bio provides a good reckoning of his career both on and off the field.

What really stood out about "Doc" was how Zolecki takes a unique approach. Usually, sports bios on individual figures really try to craft a narrative or look outside of the person/game for context. Here, however, such narrative-building is not found. Instead, Zolecki leans heavily on source materials (such as interviews or quotations from Roy himself or others affiliated with him). The book is laser-focused on Roy, yet still manages to be compelling from beginning to end. No big thesis here--just a solid, thorough look at a professional athlete of the highest order.

Sadly, the reason why this book is trending now is due to Halladay's sudden and unexpected plane-crash death in 2017. One of the little gems in "Doc" is how Zolecki tactfully and respectfully navigates that issue, addressing head-on the theories and insinuations while also providing important context.

Overall, this is simply an excellent look at one of baseball's most enigmatic figures (his reluctance to draw attention to himself was well-known). It doesn't try to do too much, but rather always keeps the focus on Halladay and slowly expands from that point.

[Chalie S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phillies beat writer and author of "Doc" Todd Zolecki takes you into the baseball career of pitcher Roy Halladay. From the lowest of lows to the highest of highs this was a super easy to read book. This one is packed with game recaps, hitter breakdowns, workout routines, and the overall mentality of how he approached each game. I think the author did an excellent job in giving the reader an insight on just how hard Roy Halladay worked and how badly he wanted to win. Though, we also get to dive in to see that he was certainly battling some demons and everything wasn't perfect. I appreciated all the work Todd Zolecki did to go around and get players' quotes about Roy. It was also intriguing to read life after baseball and how much he wanted to give back to others with what he learned. It's ashame that part of his life was cut short due to his death in a plane crash. You can't help but feel horrible for his wife Brandy and his two boys. His legacy however will live on forever in the world of baseball as he was easily one of the best pitcher I got to see live. I always knew when he took the mound for the Phillies at Citizen Bank Park the game would be over in two hours. That was the magic of Doc. Great book, I recommend it to any baseball fan.

[Kale Fountain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doc: The Life of Roy Halladay by Todd Zolecki

Hall of Famer, Cy Young award winner, an All-Star, and 16 year MLB veteran sound like a pretty cool resume to me. Roy Halladay was an amazing baseball player from the time he was starting to get scouted in high school in Colorado to when he was an ace on the Philadelphia Phillies. Roy Halladay was a role model to not only me but millions of other kids in the world who dream of becoming professional athletes. Roy Halladay tragically passed away in 2017 from a propeller plane crash after he crashed on a body of water. So Todd Zolecki wrote this book as a memoir to remember all the great things Roy Halladay accomplished in his life. He takes us through his most famous pitching performances, including a no-hitter he threw, he also talks about his childhood and his battle to overcome pain killers that he was addicted to. Roy was a family man who loved to go on adventures and overall enjoyed living life to the fullest. Todd always mentioned that he had a glowing personality and lit up every room he walked in. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the great life and works of Roy Halladay written by one of his personal best friends. This book was a phenomenal memoir in remembrance of Roy Halladay, one of the best pitchers, players, and people of our time!

[Jason L. Parke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written for both Toronto Blue Jays fans and Philadelphia Phillies fans alike, the author fairly balances MLB pitcher Roy Halladay's tenure in both cities, packed with statistics alongside personal stories surrounding his famed baseball career. Each year of Roy's professional career - and retirement - is noted, some more than others, and gathers tidbits from his closest friends and family. Resources gather information and go behind the scenes within both clubhouses, such as the culture within the winning Phillies clubhouse, or Roy's frustration with Blue Jays manager Jim Fregosi who avoided helping him in his early professional struggles.

Of course, the author notes Roy's personal struggles off the field, notably his battle with depression, but it is not exhaustive. Perhaps he could have wrote more about the events surrounding Roy's postseason no-hitter, after an already in-death analysis of Roy's perfect game over a year earlier. Roy's drive for on-field perfection is intertwined with his drive off the field and events which led to his depression.

Ultimately, a great read for all baseball fans who desire baseball statistics and who desire a read about the person behind the player.

[Rob Blackwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an outstanding tribute to a great pitcher and better man. To have an inside look at the work ethic Doc took with him is entire career is eye opening. I'm a lifelong Phillies fan and I still remember the feeling of watching that playoff no-hitter. I talk all the time about it still. To know intimately all of his professional struggles and how hard he worked to overcome them is incredible. I really credit Todd Zolecki with his work on Roy's post-playing life. It would have been easy to sensationalize the tragedy of his death. It would have been easy to ignore everything. Instead, he painted a real portrait of someone a bit lost after their competitive fire loses oxygen. He told the story of a plane crash very carefully and matter-of-factly. It didn't lean into the drama. I really appreciated that. Also, as a former pitcher, dedicating a number of pages to Doc's pitches and how he gripped them, threw them, and what they did was so exciting. I felt like a child learning how to throw my first curveball. I only wish I could have had my hands on his pitches and photos of his grips back then.

[Jason Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roy Halladay was one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. One of the last deep game pitchers who expected to finish every game he started. His career is filled with accomplishments and accolades, the pinnacle being the 20th perfect game pitched in baseball history.

What I didn't know, was the struggles that Roy Halladay had, being sent all the way back to A ball or the book The Mental ABC's of Pitching: A Handbook for Performance Enhancement how it changed his career to one of the best and mentally tough pitchers ever.

Then, Halladay's body began to break down and he didn't get to leave the game on his own terms. He became addicted to pain relievers. And just as he was overcoming these struggles, he died in a plane crash.

I love baseball and respect what Halladay did on the field. This book is a wonderful story of his life.

[Gregory Vince · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zolecki penned a perfecto

I am a huge baseball fan and not many ballpark moments gave me the pure joy of the game like watching Roy Halladay pitch. To me he was the ultimate example of a great work ethic and excellence in the game.

Zolecki wrote one fantastic book here as you get it all from the success he enjoyed in his youth that made him a first round draft pick for Toronto, to his early success in the major leagues only to stumble magnificently and wind up back in Class-A ball. Then the story of his come back to not only be a major league pitcher but the best is simply a great tale of hard work and endurance. Many like myself read it in the box scores and saw it on TV. This book serves his lasting legacy well.

It's a great baseball book but also a great life book. The struggles vs. the success is something many can relate to and I applaud Zolecki for telling an excellent story.

[Brandon Forsyth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I miss baseball so damn much.
This is a good look at a baseball player who meant a lot to me and other fans of my generation, a man who defined persistence and determination for many, and who tragically passed away too young. Zolecki has done an amazing job drawing out stories from those who knew him about Halladay’s legendary work ethic, and in many ways I was inspired by this book. There’s stories in here from his high school coach to his widow, and it’s commendable how hard Zolecki has worked to pull all these stories together to form a picture of a notoriously private person. If the seams show here and there, well then it just reminded me to grip them a little harder, because the game and the people who play it give me hope. I tore through most of this book in a day and felt a pang of nostalgia for not just the game, but for the idea that Roy Halladay is gone but not forgotten. Thanks for the memories, Doc.

[Tom Wiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great sports biography of one of the most talented pitchers of my lifetime. Halladay’s approach to mastering his psychological aspects of the sport and setting a routine for his practice of his craft would be inspiring for anyone to read. I learned a lot about the mechanics of pitching reading the book, and it was great to relive some of Halladay’s great games, including his perfect game and his playoff no hitter. Zolecki gets some great interviews for this book, and makes some interesting choices. I like how he waits until the height of Halladay’s career to give an in-depth explanation of each of his pitches. Then the next chapter tells us how Halladay uses each of those pitches to win his perfect game. This story ends tragically, but as Halladay’s wife Brandy says, “We are all imperfect and flawed in one way or another. We all struggle, but with hard work, humility, and dedication, imperfect people can still have perfect moments.”

[David Hallstrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roy Halladay deserves his place in the Hall of Fame. Few pitchers ever put together a string of ten seasons as did Halladay from 200-2011. He had amazing stuff.


Todd Zolecki does a very good job of bringing Halladay to life. You get the highs and lows of his career. You get insight into the man from those who knew him well.

It is a solid book but also drags in places, misses the mark in places, reads as a newspaper column in places. And has at least one factual error (Greg Maddux and Tony La Russa are not pre-Halladay the only hall of famers without a logo on their plaques). And factual errors in non-fiction books cost stars in my reviews.

But all in all Zolekci did a nice job.

I am most impressed by Brandy Halladay's willingness to be open about Roy's demons. But I have been impressed with how she has publicly handled those throughout.  

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a fan of Roy Halladay when he pitched for the jays. I was shocked by his death. I was actually surprised he made the hall of fame so easily. Zolecki tells the Halladay story warts and all. Halladay had ups and downs and great success and some failures. His wife also offered some insightful thoughts. I found the sections on psychology and mental toughness very interesting. From the outside you would think he had it all but he had doubts and suffered at times.

One interesting anecdote didn't make it in the book and I thought it was interesting when I heard it but don't know where I heard it from. Halladay supposedly brought his family to Medieval times a lot in toronto. I've enjoyed medieval times but i guess when you are on a baseball ace salary you can enjoy medieval times a lot of times.

[Matt Lanza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected this to be enjoyable, but I found it also to be one of the better biographies I’ve read of an athlete. Zolecki does a great job weaving between biographical nuggets or events in Halladay’s career and the psychological element that underpinned everything he did. He really did a nice job capturing his work ethic, his routine, and his ability to overcome mental struggles that impacted his early career. He doesn’t sugar coat things either, doing a nice job capturing some of the demons and challenges he struggled with off the field later in his career. It’s not difficult for a book to meet my expectations usually, but this truthfully exceeded them. Worthy of your time if you are a baseball fan or enjoy biographies of athletes.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zolecki delivers a really good look at Roy Halladay here, digging into his motivations and his pride, while detailing how those things both drove him to fantastic success as a Hall of Fame Major League pitcher but also pushed him beyond his body's limits and the post-career struggles with pain and depression. I can easily imagine two different readers taking completely different lessons from the book - Halladay liked to quote that everyone wants to win, but only some people will make the sacrifices to have a chance to really succeed. For every reader who sees Halladay's on-field success and says the sacrifice was worth it, I suspect there will be one who sees the post-career struggle and wonders if it is...

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was giving to me to read by a friend that doesn't read. So this must be a good book for him to recommend.
It starts out with his dad who always wanted his son to be a professional baseball player. His childhood, his passion and his drive. He really wanted the same thing too and as we all know he achieved his dream. The book brings out the person and not the personality which was enjoyable. His ups and downs throughout his career... and his relationships with his teammates.
It was enjoyable and interesting to see the milestones he accomplished while playing baseball.
His passion for flying also. He always wanted to be the best and bring out the best in others.
Nice read for a summer book.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book, for the most part, consisted of recaps of games pitched (by Halladay). It wasn’t until near the end when Zolecki started to pick at the interesting stuff...the stories into the life of Halladay. Personally, I wanted more of that over the listing of stats. The book gets two stars from me because the editing was terrible. Many spelling errors, with a few undefined ideas and/or expressions. Gives the impression the book was slapped together quickly with not much care to support it. I applaud the storied aspects of the book and would like to see a better developed piece be written on the life of Halladay.

[Dan Lalande · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there's no bigger cliche about an ex-athlete than "He gave all he had to the game," in Zolecki's bio of late Blue Jays-Phillies ace Halladay, it's irrefutable. Zolecki takes on the tough task of revealing the man kept deep inside the pitcher, cracking Halladay's steely carapace (through an impressive amount of interviews) to unveil a taciturn depressive whose insularity-insecurity is exacerbated by the demands of the game, until he finds the spiritual and physical doggedness to distinguish himself in it. But Halladay's hard-earned salvation take its toll, leaving him, in all ways, a broken man. Portrait of the athlete as a hardworking worrywart.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Todd Zolecki had done an admirable job of breaking down and humanizing the career of a player that was long seen as robotic and nearly emotionless. As much as I thought I remembered about Roy Halladay's career, Zolecki managed to recap both the biggest and the relatively unknown moments, adding clarity and detail to create a picture of not only class and respect, but also struggle and vulnerability. Roy's is a story of setbacks and accomplishments that any baseball fan would have a difficult time not finding utterly fascinating.