Although the Colorado Rockies limped to a disappointing end of the 2010 season, one Colorado big-leaguer is giving his home state plenty to be proud of. Roy Halladay, a former star pitcher for Arvada West High School and now the top pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, made history last night after throwing the first playoff no-hitter since 1956, and only the second one ever, in a 4-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Time points out that Halladay threw a no-hitter in May, but the stakes were exponentially higher last night in Halladay’s playoff debut as he pulled off the feat again.

Halladay may now be considered the game’s best pitcher, with one MLB.com columnist writing that “everything about the way Halladay approaches baseball seems to be perfect.”

Halladay’s father tells The Denver Post that he and his famous son used to talk about what it would take to make it to the major leagues and how great it would be to pitch in the playoffs and maybe a World Series. Now, Roy is a virtual lock for the Hall of Fame, with the likelihood of multiple Cy Young Awards (given annually to the best pitcher in both the National and American leagues) and a solid chance to log 200 wins by the time he retires. Jim Capra, Halladay’s high school coach, says he listened over the radio as his former player pitched last night.

“The thing that sets him apart from most kids I see today are the character things,” Capra says. “He always worked hard, and he doesn’t take anything for granted. He just continues to work hard and be humble.”