MLB Roundup 11/8: Roy Halladay dies in plane crash

Roy Halladay dies in plane crash

The baseball world got some horrifically tragic news on Tuesday afternoon when we learned that Roy Halladay was flying a plane that went down in the Gulf of Mexico. The crash took the life of one of the best pitchers any of us have ever seen at just 40 years old. Red Sox fans are obviously very familiar with Halladay as he spent the better part of the 2000’s as the Blue Jays ace. He would later go on to finish his career in Philadelphia in a run that included a championship, a perfect game and a playoff no-hitter. It’s hard to describe how great Halladay was on the mound, and he was essentially the perfect pitcher. He had an unforgettable windup that everyone of a certain age has tried to imitate at least once. He was a workhorse who did everything well and just dominated lineups without even breaking a sweat. Off the field, I obviously didn’t know Halladay, but based on everything said about him and his presence on social media after his retirement, he was a genuinely great person who loved his family deeply. This is a devastating loss for the baseball world, and the world as a whole, and our thoughts go out to his family in this incredibly difficult time.

Gold Glove awards went out on Tuesday

In lighter news, MLB and Rawlings teamed up to hand out their Gold Glove awards on Tuesday night. As we noted last night, Mookie Betts took home the trophy for right field while the other Red Sox finalists (Chris Sale, Mitch Moreland and Dustin Pedroia) went home empty handed. (Metaphorically speaking, since they weren’t actually in attendance.) Gold Glove awards are whatever and most people know not to take them seriously, but here is the full list of winners for those who are interested.

American League

C: Martin Maldonado, Angels

1B: Eric Hosmer, Royals

2B: Brian Dozier, Twins

3B: Evan Longoria, Rays

SS: Andrelton Simmons, Angels

LF: Alex Gordon, Royals

CF: Byron Buxton, Twins

RF: Mookie Betts, Red Sox

P: Marcus Stroman, Blue Jays

National League

C: Tucker Barnhart, Reds

1B: Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks

2B: D.J. LeMahieu, Rockies

3B: Nolan Arenado, Rockies

SS: Brandon Crawford, Giants

LF: Marcell Ozuna, Marlins

CF: Ender Inciarte, Braves

RF: Jason Heyward, Cubs

P: Zack Greinke, Diamondbacks