Photo: Rick Madonik/Toronto Star via Getty; Robbie Rogers/MLB Photos via Getty
In a tweet after his selection, Braden thanked his father’s former team and called it an “honor.” However, he confirmed he still plans to attend Penn State University before officially playing in the major leagues.
“Thank you @BlueJays for drafting me in the 32nd round today!” Braden wrote on social media on Wednesday. “It’s a great honor! It’s with mutual understanding that I’ll still be honoring my commitment to Penn State! I look forward to college and bettering myself as a player and person, thank you to all who have supported me!”
Halladay, who earned the nickname “Doc” during his 16-year MLB career split between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Blue Jays, set numerous major league milestones, such as becoming only the 20th player in MLB history to pitch a perfect game in 2010. Just a few months later, he pitched the second no-hitter in post-season history — the first since the 1956 World Series. The two events secured Halladay as only the fifth pitcher ever to have two no-hitters in one season.
After earning his pilot’s license in his retirement, Halladay bought a 2018 ICON A5, an amphibious aircraft that can take off and land from water or from a tarmac.
Brandy Halladay, Ryan (left) and Braden (right).
In January, Halladay was posthumously voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
During Halladay’sinduction, his widow, Brandy Halladay, recalled her husband’s dream of leaving his mark on the major leagues.
“To stand on that stage in Cooperstown and deliver your acceptance speech in front of baseball’s most enthusiastic fans is something that every baseball player aspires to achieve, and Roy was no exception,” she said. “But that was not Roy’s goal. It was not his goal to have those three letters after his signature. His goal was to be successful every single day of his 16-year career. Tonight’s announcement is the end result of that effort.”
She added: “If only Roy were here to personally express his gratitude for this honor, what an even more amazing day this would be.”
source: people.com
