Roy Halladay Killed in Plane Crash; All-Star Pitcher Was 40 Years Old

Roy Halladay, a former Major League Baseball All-Star, Cy Young Award winner and likely future Hall of Famer, was killed on Tuesday in a plane crash.

He was 40 years old.

A two-time Cy Young Award recipient, Halladay was the only passenger in a plane that crashed into the Gulf of Mexico, going down near St. Petersburg around 1 p.m.

He had just recently purchased the aircraft and couldn’t help but gush over his second life as a pilot in multiple Instagram posts.

Wrote Halladay on October 13:

“What do clouds feel like? I didn’t know either until I got my new Icon A5! I’m getting bruises on my arms from constantly pinching myself!” 

Featured in an article on ICONAircraft.com, Halladay also said the following last month:

“I’ve been dreaming about flying since I was a boy but was only able to become a pilot once I retired from baseball.”

“I’ve owned other aircraft, but no aircraft embodies the adventure or captured the dream of flying like the A5.”

“Not only is it the safest and easiest aircraft I’ve ever flown, it is hands-down the most fun.”

“The beaches, lakes, and waterways my family and I get to explore around Florida are mind-blowing.”

“Words don’t do justice to what the A5 allows us to experience.”

“Even my wife, who used to be uncomfortable in small planes, now asks where we should take the A5 for the weekend.

“I’m honored to own the first A5 Founders Edition.”

On the mound, Halladay excelled for the Toronto Blue Jay and Philadelphia Phillies.

He finished his career with 203 wins and a 3.38 ERA, along with 67 complete games and 20 shutouts.

Many considered Halladay to be the best pitcher of his generation.

He retired in 2013 and would be eligible for the Hall of Fame next year, following the customary five-year waiting period after a player performs in his final game.

The hurler threw a perfect game during the 2010 season and a no-hitter that postseason.

Wrote baseball writer Jeff Passan in response to the sad news:

“Roy Halladay was an amazing baseball player, a second-to-none worker and, best of all, a genuine, good person in an industry without enough.”

“The sadness across baseball right now is overwhelming. Roy Halladay was who everyone wanted to be.”

Added the official Major League Baseball Twitter account:

We are saddened by the tragic news that Roy Halladay, 2-time Cy Young Award winner & 8-time All-Star, has died in a plane crash. He was 40.

Halladay is survived by his wife and two sons, Ryan and Braden.

May he rest in peace.

View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Died in 2017: In Memoriam

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Joy-Anna Duggar: Will She Give Birth on TV?!

If you’re a fan of her family, then you’ve no doubt heard by now that Joy-Anna Duggar is pregnant with her first child.

Rebels like Jinger notwithstanding, Duggar women typically get pregnant shortly after tying the knot, so Joy is certainly doing what’s expected of her.

Of course, even Duggar families usually don’t expand quite this fast.

Joy announced her pregnancy so soon after getting married that fans began speculating she and Austin had exchanged vows in a “shotgun wedding.”

And it wasn’t just the timing that was suspicious.

The young couple gave Duggar obsessives plenty of reason to believe they may have engaged in premarital sex and gone to great efforts to hide it.

For starters, Joy and Austin admitted to breaking “courtship rules” prior to their engagement.

Of course, with how strict her family is about sexual activity, that could’ve meant they held hands for a few seconds too long.

Adding fuel to the rumor fire was the fact that Joy and Austin moved their wedding up from October to May, leading many to the conclusion that they had something to hide.

These days, Joy is laying low on social media, and hasn’t followed in her sisters’ footsteps by posting regular baby bump selfies.

All of this might just mean Joy isn’t as keen on sharing every detail of her first pregnancy as the other women in her family have been.

However, fans seem to favor a more scandalous explanation–namely that Joy is lying low because she doesn’t want anyonw to know she’s considerably further along than she’s supposed to be.

Whatever the case, many are now wondering if Joy will carry on the Duggar tradition of inviting a camera crew into the delivery room.

Not only have Joy’s older sisters Jill and Jessa given birth on camera, her mother, Michelle, gave birth to her youngest back in the 19 Kids and Counting days.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Joy has thus far remained mum on the subject.

Of course, she’s not saying much of anything on social media these days.

We’ll leave it up to you to decide if she’s keeping a secret or simply fed up with constant fan questions about her due date.

Watch Counting On online to relive Joy and Austin’s road to the altar.

View Slideshow: Joy-Anna Duggar Pregnancy Raises One Huge Question

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Retired MLB Star Roy Halladay Dead at 40 in Plane Crash

Retired baseball superstar Roy Halladay died in a fatal plane crash Tuesday in the Gulf of Mexico. The Pasco County Sheriff’s Dept. is holding a news conference to reveal details of the crash. They confirm Roy was the only person aboard the…

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Jackson Roloff Had the BEST Time at the Zoo!

Grandparents and grandchildren share a special bond. The Roloffs are certainly no exception.

Matt Roloff took to social media to share that it’s getting harder for him to spend time away from his grandbabies, even for just a few days.

And we can see why — because in the mean time, Zach Roloff took sweet baby Jackson on a surprise trip to the zoo. And these pictures are golden.

This year, Matt Roloff got to welcome two grandchildren into the world. His first two.

Early this summer, sweet Jackson Roloff was born. And then, only four months later, precious Ember Jean was born.

As a grandparent, that’s a dream come true.

(It’s also, we’re sure, exciting stuff for Zach and Tori and for Jeremy and Auj, what with becoming parents and all)

Here’s the thing, though.

Matt Roloff lives on Roloff Farms with most of the rest of his family, but he has a habit of heading down to Arizona.

Most of us are sick to death of this warm weather and would like to squeeze in a few weeks of fall weather before winter arrives, but Matt Roloff likes to enjoy downtime and the warmer weather that Arizona has to offer.

But he’s taken to social media to share how difficult that trip is becoming, for one — or two — adorable reasons.

Matt Roloff shared this precious photo of his son, Zach, and his grandson, Jackson.

Jackson, you can just barely tell, is still dressed like a pumpkin. What a delight.

Matt’s caption for the photo, however, proved to be bittersweet:

“Had to say good bye to these guys for a couple of days …”

Awww, we know that it’s not easy. Especially when you can’t explain to a baby why they won’t see you for a few days.

Matt continued: “Headed to Arizona in search of some warm sunny weather..”

Again, we’ve absolutely had our fill of warmth and sunlight for 2017, but some people like it more than others.

(And we should remember that Matt Roloff is a grandparent and some people, as they get older, become sensitive to cold, particularly in their joints)

“Getting harder and harder to leave even just for a few days. Can’t stand to miss even a minute with these precious grand kids.”

You know, that’s normal for grandparents who live exceptionally close to their grandchildren.

Kids can change overnight. What if your grandbaby learns a new word and you’re not there? What if they learn to walk?

And Zach Roloff took to Instagram to share what Jackson got up to.

Zach and Tori took Jackson on an impromptu zoo trip.

As Zach explains, he’s not usually a huge fan of the zoo:

“Great day at the Zoo and World Forestry Discovery Center Museum. Never been too much of a fan of zoos because all the people and the small enclosures but today was class. Nobody was there and the animals were all out. Great day with the family as well.”

The trick to visiting lots of places is to go there when it’s not crowded. It’s like going out to dinner on a Tuesday instead of on Friday night.

Zach also hinted at a reason that he, especially, might not be comfortable in big crowds … and it’s not his height. Not directly.

Zach ended his post with Samuel 16:7, a biblical passage about ignoring what a person looks like because what matters is what they look like on the inside.

Interestingly, in context, the passage is referring to a super good-looking man whom the faithful are supposed to reject, but we can see how the words could be a great comfort to someone who feels judged for his appearance by total strangers.

And speaking of being judged, Zach and these adorable baby photos got actual hate in the comments for going to a zoo.

Zoo animals are either born in captivity or rescued, folks. Often rescued from actual horrible conditions.

There are some bad zoos in the world, but most of them are essentially massive animal rescues with habitats and trained professionals.

Don’t hate someone for supporting an educational facility that brings joy to children while helping countless wild and even endangered species.\

Just relax and look at the cute baby:

View Slideshow: Jackson Roloff Baby Photos: OMG! He’s So Cute!

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