Halladay Longing To Go The Distance
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Halladay Longing To Go The Distance
Marc Narducci
One could see that it is really killing Roy Halladay to exude patience. If it were up to him, he would have finished Friday’s 3-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals instead of pitching eight innings.
Yet Halladay understands that after missing 42 games with his shoulder injury that his bulldog mentality has to be lightened up a little bit, whether he likes it or not.
So pitching coach Rich Dubee has a plan and isn’t about to deviate despite Halladay’s admitted protests.
“Rich has been pretty, not adamant, but he told me how he wants to do it and I understand that,” Halladay said after earning the win, while allowing just two hits in his eight inning stint. “I fought it a couple of times.”
He knew on Friday it would be a losing proposition.
“He (Dubee) was not going to let me jump a couple of innings at a time, regardless we have one of the better closers in baseball and it was a 1-1 game,” Halladay said.
Dubee made the decision after Halladay pitched eight ininings and threw 99 pitches that his evening was done. Halladay was the winning pitcher after Chase Utley hit a two-run homer run in the bottom of the eighth and Jonathan Papelbon had another difficult but scoreless save in the ninth.
Yet Halladay truly doesn’t count personal wins and losses.
He is about the team and he feels staying out for the duration of the game gives the Phillies the best chance to win.
The fact that he wants to finish games is a sign that the feisty old Halladay has returned.
In a way, Dubee is saving Halladay from himself.
“He is going to make sure we take small steps,” Halladay said.
Of course Halladay is hoping the steps and the innings keep increasing.
“Hopefully we get a couple where I get a 4-5 run lead and can try and go out and do it,” Halladay said about pitching a complete game.
Not only is his spirit and confidence back, but so is his ability to baffle hitters. In his last two games covering 15 innings, Halladay has allowed five hits to two teams, Arizona and St. Louis, that entered Friday having scored a total of 1,062 runs.
No doubt Halladay has given the Phillies a big lift and one of the positive signs as everybody looks toward 2013. Yet to show how much is expected of the right-hander, Utley doesn’t think we are seeing Halladay at his absolute best.
“I think since he’s been back it’s the best game he has pitched yet and I still think he can improve and that is a good sign," Utley said.
It’s also a good sign that Halladay agrees. He will never become complacent and won’t be totally satisfied until he can begin finishing what he starts.
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Halladay is such a great competitor. He's the kind of guy you want to pitch, even if he isn't 100%.
— Barneyboy
It should not be up to him, ever. That is what Halladay injured in the first place. And he should be put on injured reserve the second the team is officially eliminated. Same for Howard and Utley.
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- This team has to start thinking 2013, including Halliday.— Boru
- What a guy, he wants the ball 100% or not. This is what Philly fans love to see, Utley is another example. I could give you plenty of examples on what not to do on this team but I believe everyone knows who they are already.— Trot
- You want to go the distance? No way no how! Especially not after he gave up the winning run in the NLDS last year.— lonewolf 10
- I'm pretty proud of the Phils after this weekend. I thought after 5 straight years of winning the division that when it came time to realize it wasn't to be this season they might fold up tent and just tailspin with 5 and 6-game losing streaks separated by random wins here and there. But they fought pretty hard against a Cardinals team that desperately wanted to win this series being in that tight Central race and back some games as it is. Winning this series and reading this about Halladay, and knowing that Pierre has the ethic he does day in and day out, it's still got me watching every night, and I'm thrilled that their demeanor on the field doesn't suggest they aren't in the race. GO PHILS KEEP ON FIGHTIN!— Momjeanz
