The Doc is most definitely in

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

You can't think about Roy Halladay and not be amazed. After all, this is the guy who went from the major leagues all the way back down to A-ball to try and re-discover how to pitch. Since then, he's only spent the last eight-plus seasons dominating major league pitchers.

There are few you'll find that pound the strike zone the way that he does. In that respect, he's the perfect pitcher to face a team like the Red Sox. Consider the number of "on-base percentage guys" Boston has. How many of their hitters rely on getting deep into counts , not swinging at bad pitches and forcing opposing pitchers to put one in their wheelhouse.

You can't do that with Halladay. Everything's around the plate and every pitch has a purpose. He doesn't waste pitches. He goes right after you. If you're hoping he's going to nibble around you a la Daisuke Matsuzaka, it's obvious you've never even looked at a stat sheet, nevermind actually watched him pitch.

Halladay just doesn't walk anybody. It just doesn't happen. The man has thrown nearly 2,000 major-league innings and has walked just 437 batters. Just let that sink in for a second.

Done?

Ok, now consider the fact that 163 of those came in his first three seasons (I'm not counting 1998 when he made two starts). So since 2002, he has allowed just 274 free passes, or 1.5 per nine innings.

Let's not forget he's tied for first with 11 wins, second in complete games with four, and fourth with a 2.73 ERA.

It's looking less and less likely that Halladay is going to be dealt, meaning that he'll spend another year on a losing club without a shot at a ring. It's disappointing to see one of the Top-3 pitchers in baseball toil in the mediocrity.