Former major leaguer Chris Carpenter regrets not helping his longtime friend, the late Roy Halladay, with his off-field struggles after the two pitchers ended their playing careers.
Carpenter, who played with the Hall of Famer for five years while with the Toronto Blue Jays, said the two could've been there for one another.
"We both struggled, we both had issues," Carpenter said Thursday on ESPN's "Outside the Lines." "Unfortunately, that's something I wish I could take back. From that time until he passed, I was dealing with my own stuff, trying to get my own life together. Now, as we all know, so was Doc. I just wish I could have some of that time back, and maybe we could've gone through our things together, worked together, to try to fix it, to try to help him, and he try to help me."
Halladay's wife, Brandy, has been transparent about her husband's struggle with depression, anxiety, and addiction since his fatal 2017 plane crash. Carpenter, a former 15-year veteran, acknowledged that players have a difficult time adjusting to life after they retire.
"I've shared before with many people that the game teaches you a lot - it teaches you responsibility; it teaches you how to compete; it teaches you how to navigate people, with all the different people that come into the clubhouse; it also teaches you and reminds you to stay financially secure because you retire at such an early age," the 45-year-old said. "What they don't teach you is going from that everyday structure, that everyday competition … and then once it ends, you have nothing."
Carpenter's comments come a day before ESPN releases its highly anticipated documentary "Imperfect," which airs Friday - the 10-year anniversary of Halladay's perfect game. The story chronicles the two-time Cy Young winner's life on and off the field.
