Dock Phillip Ellis Jr. (March 11, 1945 – December 19, 2008) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from through , most notably as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates teams that won five National League Eastern Division titles in six years between and and won the World Series in . Ellis also played for the New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers and New York Mets. In his MLB career, Ellis accumulated a record, a 3.46 earned run average, and 1,136 strikeouts.
Ellis threw a no-hitter on June 12, 1970, and later stated that he accomplished the feat while under the influence of Ellis was the starting pitcher for the National League in the All-Star Game in 1971. Joining the Yankees in 1976, he helped lead the team to the American League pennant, and was named the Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Ellis was an outspoken advocate for the rights of players and African Americans.
He had a substance abuse problem, and acknowledged after his retirement that he had never pitched without the use of drugs. After going into treatment, Ellis remained sober and devoted the remainder of his life to counseling others with substance use disorder in treatment centers and prisons. He died of a liver ailment at age 63 in 2008.
Early life Born in Los Angeles, California, Ellis attended Gardena High School in Gardena. At age 14, he began drinking alcohol and using drugs.
Ellis played for the school's basketball team, recording 21 assists in one game. He played baseball as an infielder for a local semi-professional team called the Pittsburgh Pirates Rookies, along with future major leaguers Willie Crawford, Bill Rohr, Tom Harrison, Bobby Tolan, Roy White, Ron Woods, Reggie Smith, Don Wilson, Bob Watson and Dave Nelson. The team was managed by Chet Brewer. However, Ellis refused to play for the Gardena High School baseball team because a baseball player referred to him as a "spearchucker".
When Ellis was caught drinking and smoking marijuana in a high school bathroom during his senior year, the school agreed not to expel him if he agreed to play for the school's baseball team. He appeared in four games and was named all-league. Ellis then attended Los Angeles Harbor College (LAHC), a junior college.
Ellis was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia at age 17; the diagnosis was later changed to sickle cell trait.
Playing career
Minor league career (1964–1968) While Ellis attended LAHC, various Major League Baseball teams attempted to sign him to a professional contract, but as he heard the Pittsburgh Pirates gave out signing bonuses of $60,000, he held out until the Pirates made him an offer. He was arrested for stealing a car, and given probation. Brewer, working as a scout for the Pirates, signed Ellis to the Pirates; as a result of the arrest, the Pirates offered Ellis $500 a month and a $2,500 signing bonus.
Ellis played for the Batavia Pirates of the Class A New York–Pennsylvania League in 1964. The next season, he played for the Kinston Eagles of the Class A Carolina League and the Columbus Jets of the Class AAA International League. Ellis pitched in an exhibition game for the Pirates against the Cleveland Indians in July, earning the win. After the season, the Pirates added Ellis to their 40-man roster.
In 1966, Ellis played for the Asheville Tourists of the Class AA Southern League, pitching to a 10–9 win–loss record, a 2.77 earned run average (ERA), and an All-Star Game appearance. The Pirates called Ellis up to the majors near the end of the season, but the team did not use him in a game that year.
Ellis started the 1967 season with Columbus. He believed that he was not on the major league club because the Pirates already had a number of African American players; he felt that the team did not want to alienate white fans. Ellis was sent down to the Macon Peaches of the Southern League, which Ellis believed was because of the length of his hair. Ellis said that he was promoted back to Columbus after shaving his head. He had a 2–0 win–loss record with Macon and a 5–7 record with Columbus.
During his minor league career, Ellis once chased a heckler in the stands with a baseball bat. He also used pills when he pitched, specifically the amphetamines Benzedrine and Dexamyl. Stressed by the pressure of his "can't-miss" status as a prospect, Ellis became addicted. He later said that he never pitched a game without using amphetamines. He eventually needed per game, or between five and twelve capsules, depending on their strength. Ellis acknowledged that he began to use cocaine in the late 1960s.
Ellis held out from the Pirates in February 1968; he came to terms with the team in March. The Pirates optioned Ellis to Columbus, who moved Ellis from the starting rotation to the bullpen. At Columbus, Ellis credited his work with manager Johnny Pesky and pitching coach Harvey Haddix for improving his performance.
Pittsburgh Pirates Ellis made his MLB debut in June 1968, beginning as a relief pitcher, but the Pirates moved Ellis into the starting rotation later that season and he started 10 games. Ellis pitched his first complete game in September. He had a 6–5 win–loss record with a 2.51 ERA with the Pirates in 1968. In 1969, Ellis made the team's starting rotation for Opening Day. The struggles of Steve Blass kept Ellis in the starting rotation, as Blass was moved to the bullpen.
June 12, 1970 no-hitter On June 12, 1970, Ellis no-hit the San Diego Padres, 2–0, in the first game of a twi-night doubleheader at San Diego Stadium, while reportedly under the influence of LSD. After the Pirates had flown to San Diego on Thursday, June 11, Ellis visited a friend in Los Angeles and used LSD "two or three times". Thinking it was still Thursday, he took a hit of LSD on Friday at noon, and his friend's girlfriend reminded him at 2:00 p.m. that he was scheduled to pitch that night. Ellis flew from Los Angeles to San Diego at 3:00 p.m. and arrived at the stadium at 4:30 p.m.; the game started at 6:05 p.m.
Ellis said that he threw the no-hitter despite being unable to feel the ball or see the batter or catcher clearly. He also said that his catcher Jerry May wore reflective tape on his fingers, which helped Ellis see May's signals. Ellis walked eight batters (tied for the third most all time by a pitcher in a solo no-hitter) and struck out six, and he was aided by excellent fielding plays by second baseman Bill Mazeroski and centerfielder Matty Alou.
As Ellis recounted:
Ellis reported that he never used LSD during the season again, though he continued to use amphetamines. After the story was made public, Ellis said that he regretted taking LSD that day because it "robbed him of his greatest professional memory".
Assessments of LSD claim Bob Smizik of the Pittsburgh Press, who first broke the story in 1984, believes Ellis' version of events that day, although Smizik did not witness the game in person. Bill Christine, also of the Pittsburgh Press, does not believe Ellis' claim and was at the game that day. Christine was a beat reporter who "practically lived with the team that year". Christine had said that he did not notice anything unusual and that if Ellis had reported to the stadium only 90 minutes before his scheduled start, reporters would have been told. John Mehno, a reporter who had "extensive interactions" with Ellis over his career, was skeptical about many stories told by Ellis, including the LSD no-hitter. Mehno said that he has not found a teammate who would corroborate the story. However, Ellis' close friend Scipio Spinks, a pitcher for the Houston Astros, has said that he has no doubt that Ellis was telling the truth about his LSD use, as he was very familiar with Ellis' drug habits, including the use of LSD.
The no-hitter in pop culture Ellis collaborated with future United States Poet Laureate Donald Hall on a book, Dock Ellis in the Country of Baseball, published in 1976. The first edition of the book reported that Ellis had been drinking vodka on the day of his no-hitter. Hall updated the 1989 edition to reveal the LSD use.Mikkelson, David. (June 13, 2013). "Dock Ellis Pitched a No-Hitter on LSD?," Snopes. Retrieved on March 5, 2017.Citron, Rodger. (December 22, 2008). "Another Reason for Remembering Dock Ellis," History News Network. Retrieved on March 5, 2017. Singer-songwriter Barbara Manning paid tribute to Ellis and his no-hitter in the psychedelic pop song "Dock Ellis",Sobsey, Adam. (October 29, 2014). "Future Eligibles," The Paris Review. Retrieved on March 4, 2017. as did folk singer Todd Snider with "America's Favorite Pastime" on his 2009 album The Excitement Plan. "Dock Ellis" is also a song by beatmaker Blazo and hip-hop duo The 49ers that talks about "musical addiction". A 2009 animated short film by James Blagden about the game, Dock Ellis and the LSD No-No, features narration in Ellis' own voice, taken from a 2008 NPR interview.Witz, Billy. (September 4, 2010). "For Ellis, a Long, Strange Trip to a No-Hitter," The New York Times. Retrieved on March 4, 2017.Vanderbilt, Mike. (June 12, 2015). "45 years ago today, Dock Ellis pitched a no-hitter while high on LSD," The A.V. Club. Retrieved on March 4, 2017. The no-hitter is featured in the documentary about Ellis' life, No No: A Dockumentary (2014), directed by Jeffrey Radice.Gold, Daniel M. (September 4, 2014). "A Lightning Rod in a Game With Bats: 'No No: A Dockumentary' Looks at Dock Ellis," The New York Times. Retrieved on March 4, 2017. Robin Williams riffed on Ellis and his no-hitter as part of a segment on performance-enhancing drugs in sports, during his 2009 HBO special Weapons of Self-Destruction. In a season 2 episode of Poker Face, a player laces another's gum with LSD in an attempt at sabotage, but inadvertently "Dock Ellis-ed him."
1970–1971 Ellis struggled for the remainder of the 1970 season, and finished the year with a 13–10 win–loss record as he experienced elbow and shoulder pain. However, he finished second in the NL with four shutouts and seventh with a 3.21 ERA. The Pirates won the National League (NL) East division championship. Ellis started Game 1 of the 1970 National League Championship Series (NLCS) to the Cincinnati Reds. Ellis matched zeroes with Reds' starter Gary Nolan through nine innings, but was touched up for three runs in the top of the tenth, receiving a tough-luck 3-0 loss. The Pirates lost the series to the Reds in a three game sweep.
Ellis worked on his changeup for the season. He was rewarded by being named the Pirates' Opening Day starting pitcher; he defeated the Philadelphia Phillies by a score of 4–2. After a strong start to the 1971 season, posting a 13–3 win–loss record, Ellis was named to appear in the 1971 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, held at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. The AL selected Vida Blue of the Oakland Athletics as their starter, and Ellis publicly stated that National League All-Star Team manager Sparky Anderson would "never start two brothers against each other". Anderson surprised Ellis by naming him the starting pitcher of the All-Star Game. Ellis was the losing pitcher in the game. During the game, Reggie Jackson hit a towering home run off of Ellis. The home run, estimated to have traveled , tied a 1926 home run hit by Babe Ruth for the longest measured home run on record. The next time the two opposed each other, Ellis beaned Jackson in the face in retaliation for his earlier home run.