Over the course of my five seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, I have had the privilege to watch and play behind one of the best pitchers in baseball.

Since last weekend, Roy (Doc) Halladay, has been the topic of trade discussions by all 30 teams in Major League Baseball and radio talk shows around the nation have been having a field day trying to figure out where he could possibly end up.

I have no say where he'll play baseball the rest of this season or beyond, but that hasn't stopped people from calling me to see if I have inside information.

This is what I know about Doc: Not only is he one of the best pitchers in baseball, he is one of the best prepared players in the game. He routinely is the first player to arrive at the ballpark every day and is a tireless worker on the field, in the video room, and in the weight room.

He possesses the ability to physically outperform players during the course of game and mentally outperform them as well. The combination of his mental ability to be aware of any situation that can occur during a game and his physical gifts are a rare commodity. He knows and attacks hitters' weaknesses while staying with his strengths, (power mid 90s fastball, nasty cutter, dirty sinker, above average curveball, and a changeup).

Doc doesn't have to blow fastballs by hitters; he attacks them with strikes moving to both sides of the plate and will keep hitters off balance with his off-speed pitches. He throws strikes (so you have to swing) but what side of the plate, with which direction of movement and at what speed the ball will move is anyone's guess - except for the Doc ... because remember, he's been thinking of how he's going to get every hitter out in the lineup for the past four days.

A leader by example and a fearless competitor, I hope Doc is on my team until I retire, but if he's not, I'll be sure to have more than one bat ready in the event I have to face him.