Former MLB pitcher Roy Halladay dies in plane crash

Roy Halladay, the eight-time MLB All Star and two-time Cy Young Award winner who pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies, died Tuesday when his plane crashed in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast, the Pasco County Sheriff confirmed. He was 40.

Halladay's ICON A5 single-engine aircraft crashed at around noon, and Halladay's body was found in shallow water, law enforcement said. Police could not say if there were other passengers on the plane, or where it was headed. In a video posted on ICON's website, Halladay said he always wanted to fly, ESPN reports, but because of his contract, he couldn't get a pilot's license until he retired.

After 16 seasons, Halladay retired from baseball in 2013. In a statement, the Toronto Blue Jays said the entire organization is "overcome by grief with the tragic loss of one of the franchise's greatest and most respected players, but even better human being. It is impossible to express what he has meant to this franchise, the city, and its fans. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends." Halladay is survived by his wife, Brandy, and sons Ryan and Braden.

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