Roy Halladay

In a game so rich with statistics and lists, it's impressive to be only the second name on the rollcall headed by Don Larsen. How about being the fourth name on the one that begins with Gaylord Perry, Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens? He's still the one and only member of yet another historic list. And he leads another category covering pitchers of the 21st century.

Roy Halladay, who died Tuesday in the crash of his private plane, had a career that had him on the fast track to Cooperstown in 2019. He's the only pitcher beside Don Larsen to throw a post-season no-hitter. He's the fourth player to win a Cy Young Award in each league. In 2010, he became the one and only to throw a no-hitter during the regular and post-season the same year (the regular-season one was a perfect game and came in the first playoff game he ever worked!). As for the category he dominates, "Doc" led a league in complete games six times -- and tied for the lead in a seventh -- more than any pitcher of the 21st century.

Add on a 203-105 record, almost 100 wins over .500, and Halladay goes down among the greatest pitchers of the post-World War II era. Those numbers might have been bigger -- a shoulder injury ended his career in 2013.

Retiring to Florida, Roy took great pride in raising his two sons, coaching them in baseball, working with Phillies during spring training, and pursuing the hobby he was contractually barred from during his playing days -- piloting a small plane.

Halladay had recently taken possession of a new plane, and he'd recently posted photos taken from the sky on social media. There will be no more such photos from Roy.

Yesterday, he joined another, and incredibly sad, list: one headed by Kenny Hubbs, followed by Thurman Munson and Cory Lidle. Players who died while piloting their own plane.