Roy Halladay is the undisputed ace of the Blue Jays' rebuilding rotation and is noted for his work ethic and competitive nature.
So it came as no surprise when Halladay revealed recently that during the three seasons that A.J. Burnett was his teammate, the two were competing against each other before they became friends. Burnett is now a member of the Yankees, having signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract. "I thought it was good from the beginning," Halladay said of their relationship. "The only difference was that toward the end, we were working together, we were kind of both pulling for each other.
"The first part of it there was a little bit of that competition between each other, which can be good, but if you're always fighting to try to get out of shadows, get the attention (which Burnett had to do, given the shadow Halladay casts), it's hard. Once we were able to work together it made a big difference."
Halladay said of Burnett being in pinstripes, "It's going to be interesting for him. If he does well, he's going to thrive there. It also sometimes goes the other way. It's obviously got a reputation for being a tough place if you aren't doing what you're supposed to do. I think for his sake that if he can get out to a good start, he's going to do great."
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