DETROIT—Sunday will be a regular day for Pete Walker in many ways.

The Blue Jays pitching coach will watch with a keen eye as rookie starter Jacob Waguespack makes his fourth big-league appearance, in the series finale against the Tigers at Comerica Park. He will help manager Charlie Montoyo navigate bullpen changes, get in some post-game work, hop on the team charter back to Toronto and turn his focus to the upcoming six-game homestand.

All the while, Walker will feel the loss of Roy Halladay — who will be inducted posthumously into Cooperstown as a first-ballot hall of famer on Sunday — in a profound way.

“Just wishing that he was the one there to accept,” Walker said.

Walker and Halladay were Blue Jays teammates for parts of five seasons, starting in 2002. Halladay died in November 2017 at age 40, when his personal plane crashed in the Gulf of Mexico.

Questions remain about that fatal crash and the toxicology report that found amphetamines and morphine in his system, among other drugs. In a recent Sports Illustrated story, Halladay’s sister Heather said the right-hander struggled with depression and addiction following his retirement in 2013.

Today’s Jays say they’re focused solely on his hall-worthy achievements: Cy Young awards in both leagues, something just six pitchers have accomplished. Eight all-star selections. A perfect game. A post-season no-hitter.

“While this weekend’s celebration is bittersweet for anyone whose life was touched by Roy, we are proud to join in the recognition of his exceptional career and contributions to the game of baseball,” Jays president Mark Shapiro said in a statement. “There has seldom been a player to step on the mound with the passion and grace that Roy demonstrated and his incredible legacy will now be forever enshrined in Cooperstown, through this monumental and well-deserved honour.”

The club will also add a hall of fame logo to the No. 32 banner that hangs from the rafters over centre field at the Rogers Centre.

Halladay’s name appeared on 85.4 per cent of hall ballots in January and he’ll be enshrined — with no team logo on his Cooperstown plaque — along with pitchers Mariano Rivera, Mike Mussina and Lee Smith, plus sluggers Edgar Martinez and Harold Baines.

“When he was on, you had no chance,” Walker, who pitched in 144 big-league games, said of Halladay. “There’s not many pitchers that you can say that about.

“In his prime, when he was going good, he was just about as good as there has ever been.”

Halladay was in the twilight of his career when he played with current Jays shortstop Freddy Galvis, who spent his first two big-league seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. The man nicknamed Doc finished his playing days with the Phillies before signing a one-day contract to retire as a Blue Jay.

Galvis is known for his work ethic and commitment to the game, and saw Halladay as a role model. The shortstop remembers Halladay starting one day, then at his locker the next day watching video of hitters he wouldn’t be facing again any time soon.

“I learned a lot from him,” Galvis said. “I learned about preparation and I learned about work ethic just watching him. I thank God I had the opportunity to have him on the same team. Every time he stepped out to the field, the mentality was to win the game. That’s pretty cool to watch.”

Walker urges pitchers — including Aaron Sanchez, who once sought pitching tips from Halladay — to develop mental strength. The perfect game and NL playoff no-hitter in 2010 will always lead Halladay’s highlight reel, but reinventing himself in 2001 — after he was demoted to Class-A, almost three years after his major-league debut — was also a remarkable feat.

“He was so strong-minded and was able to channel his thoughts and focus on literally one pitch at a time, and separated that from any other distractions,” Walker said. “I think that’s the biggest challenge for pitchers today. He could do it as good as anybody.”

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When Walker thinks of Halladay now, he thinks of a guy who pitched into the eighth inning with regularity and never seemed to have a bad game: “I think that’s probably the memory that I have. He was so consistent with his greatness.”

Walker adds that those who knew Halladay, who fell in love with the guy on the mound and learned from him, have a responsibility to celebrate his legacy.

“He was such a great person, so deserving,” Walker said. “I think it will be a bittersweet day. There will be some sadness, for sure, but also a lot of great memories.”