'Roy Halladay made me love baseball': Jays fans mourn loss of pitching legend

Toronto sports fans are sharing their memories of Roy "Doc" Halladay, who died Tuesday afternoon after his small plane crashed in the Gulf of Mexico.

Halladayplayedwith the Jays from 1998-2009, winning 148 games and the 2003 Cy Young Award as the American League's best pitcher.

• Blue Jays great RoyHalladaykilled in plane crash

MitchellDuTrizacwas a big fan of the Blue Jays in the late '90s and early 2000s when Halladayshone, even when the team was struggling.

"Him coming sparked a new era in Toronto and helping build the franchise into what it is today," he recalled.

Ward Sellers came to Toronto after Halladay became a household name and was also shocked by the news.

"He was the anchor for years," Sellers said."His name is there in the Rogers Centre, and we think about him all the time whenever I take my sons to the games."

Word of Halladay'sdeath spread quickly on Tuesday. Sean Strickland learned about his death when he was at a conference.

"The buzz started to happen in the room, 'Did you hear that Roy Halladay died?"' Strickland said. "He struck me as a competitive guy and a nice guy at the same time."

Reaction online

MayorJohn Tory expressedhissympathies to Roy Halladay's family on Twitterand shared his memories.

Halladay's death also had fans online sharingmemories of watching him play in Toronto during his Jays heyday.

Fans also looked back on his departure from the Blue Jays and his one-day return so he could retire with the team.