On Thursday, Evans hosted Greenbrier in baseball. However, this was not a normal regular-season game between two rivals. On this afternoon the Evans would be retiring the #23 of Chris “Doc” Halliday.
From Left to Right – Halliday’s son Patrick, wife Lisa, and daughter Camryn. Photo courtesy the Halliday family.
Halliday died unexpectedly in September and the entire Columbia County baseball community mourned. The Halliday Family is synonymous with local baseball, and while they certainly have still not completely gotten over the loss of Chris, this event was a chance to celebrate and reminisce about a man who was so impactful to so many.
When the name Chris Halliday comes up most immediately think about his heroics at the plate for Evans. His 17th Inning Home Run in the 1993 Championship series to beat Sprayberry is forever etched in Georgia baseball history as one of the great moments of all-time. He also came up big for Kennesaw State in the 1997 NCAA Championship Series. His 3 for 4 performance in the Title Game earned him the NCAA Tournament Most Valuable Player Award.
Halliday was also drafted twice by the New York Yankees. So, yes…he was an outstanding player. However, this evening was about much more than on the field triumphs and accomplishments. The outpouring of love and affection I witnessed Thursday was about much more than baseball. Hundreds of friends, former teammates, coaches and family members came together. They put their current baseball allegiances aside. Honoring Chris was much more important than any rivalry game. Especially when both schools have such a large Halliday Imprint on them.
As a matter of fact, there is not a school in Columbia County that has not been impacted by Chris Halliday or his family. For as much as Chris is known for his clutch performances and helping Evans build their incredible baseball tradition, he was much more than just a player. That is why none of his teammates, family members and friends wanted to leave the field that night following the ceremony.
Oh, the stories that were being told. I know Chris was looking down with pride. Not that he was such a great baseball player that the school chose to retire his jersey. They chose to retire his jersey because he was so much more than just a player. Hopefully last night he realized that. Chris thought so much about others that he likely had no clue what he meant to so many. Was he a great player? Sure. But he was also a great son, brother, father, teammate, friend, coach, and mentor. For those reasons no one else will ever wear the number “23” in an Evans Baseball Uniform. That is, and forever will be Doc’s Number.
As the ceremony settled and the two teams finished warm-ups, we found our seats to watch two talented teams square off. Often reality can write the best stories, so wouldn’t you know it. The very first batter for Evans, Lleyton Lackey leads off the game with a home run. His blast cleared the fence in almost the identical spot of Chris’s epic 17th inning game winner that caused Coach Terry Holder to fall to his knees 28 years ago. How fitting. I’m sure Doc was smiling from ear-to-ear.
Ashley Brown covers sports for The Augusta Press. Reach him at Ashley.brown@theaugustapress.com
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