The Denver Post debuts Roy Halladay Award, to be presented annually to state’s top senior baseball player, scholar and citizen

Thirty years after Roy Halladay became one of the highest draft picks in Colorado high school baseball history, his local legacy is getting amplified.

The Denver Post is proud to announce the creation of the Roy Halladay Award, to be presented annually to the top high school senior ballplayer, scholar and citizen in Colorado. The inaugural honor will be awarded this year, following the conclusion of the high school baseball season.

Like the newspaper’s Gold Helmet Award in football, the Roy Halladay Award will factor in achievements and impact outside the field of play. The Roy Halladay Award was the brainchild of Colorado Sports Hall of Famer Roger Kinney and longtime MLB scout Ed Henderson, who brought the idea to The Post earlier this spring.

“It will recognize an outstanding high school senior in the state, not only for their on-field performance but for who they are as a person,” Henderson said. “It’s important for us to make sure the selection is an outstanding individual on and off the diamond.

“I knew Roy (from scouting him), my wife and I are close with Roy’s family, and this is something that will recognize the contributions to the game that Roy made and his legacy as a baseball Hall of Famer.”

Halladay’s parents gave The Post permission to use his name for the award, which will be decided by a 13-person selection committee. Like the Gold Helmet, the Roy Halladay Award winner will be profiled in The Post, receive a trophy and have a celebratory banquet in his honor. The trophy will be made by the Lundeen Sculpture company in Loveland.

“Baseball holds a special place in the Colorado high school sports community with a long tradition of great players, coaches and teams,” said Matt Schubert, The Post’s sports editor. “The Post has long honored the state’s best senior football player/community steward with the Gold Helmet Award, and it feels only right that we do it with baseball as well.

“That the award will also serve as a way to honor the legacy of the late Roy Halladay, perhaps the greatest Colorado native to ever play the game, only makes it more special.”

The selection committee will consist of community members with an extensive range of baseball insight and influence, as well as a Halladay family member and Denver Post staffers.

• Ed Henderson, 32-year MLB scout
• Marc Johnson, Colorado’s all-time winningest high school coach
• Jason Hirsh, former Rockies pitcher
• Jeff Bridich, former Rockies general manager
• Jenny Cavnar, Colorado native and A’s broadcaster
• Mike Rice, sports broadcaster
• Heather Halladay Basile, Halladay’s sister
• Kyle Freeland, Rockies pitcher
• Drew Goodman, Rockies broadcaster
• Matt Schubert, Denver Post sports editor
• Troy Renck, Denver Post columnist
• Patrick Saunders, Denver Post Rockies beat writer
• Kyle Newman, Denver Post sportswriter

Nominations for the award are now open and will be accepted through the first week of June. Ideally, players with a strong case for the award would be nominated by their head coach or athletic director.

The award, which will be overseen by a non-profit with a board, is backed by the Kinney Charity Fund. The Post encourages any individuals or businesses who want to get involved in sponsoring the award with tax-deductible donations to reach out to board member Kyle Newman at knewman@denverpost.com.

This June, when the first Roy Halladay Award will be announced, marks the 30th anniversary of Halladay getting picked in the first round at No. 17 overall out of Arvada West by the Blue Jays. He was the third-highest Colorado prep pick ever in the June draft. Former Cherry Creek coach Marc Johnson called the right-hander “the best pitcher the state of Colorado has ever seen.”

“He was totally an icon, even at that time in ’95,” Johnson said. “Even though he’s 30 years out of high school and deceased, kids in the decades since have all heard the stories. They know the legend. The impact of this award could be really big, because he is such a household name and he did so much with the talent that he had.”

Halladay pitched 16 seasons in the majors with Toronto and Philadelphia.

He was one of six pitchers to win the Cy Young in both leagues, doing so for the Blue Jays in 2003 and the Phillies in 2010, and was an eight-time All-Star. Halladay threw 67 complete games in his career, leading his league in that category seven times. Amid his historic 2010 season, he threw a perfect game early in the year and then tossed a no-hitter in his playoff debut.

The pitcher died on Nov. 7, 2017, when the amphibious aircraft he was piloting crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. He was posthumously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020, becoming the second Coloradan to earn the honor after reliever Goose Gossage.

Halladay received 85.4 percent of the vote in his first year on the ballot and became one of just 13 starters to get into the Hall of Fame with less than 3,000 career innings pitched.

Now, the legacy of “Doc” will live on via the Colorado high school baseball award named in his honor.

2025 Roy Halladay Award nomination form

Nominations are open from April 27 through June 8 for the honor recognizing the state’s top senior ballplayer.