Dock Ellis
Pirates right-hander who threw a no-hitter on LSD and helped lead the Yankees to the 1976 AL pennant.
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 and is most notably a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates teams that won five National League Eastern Division titles between 1970 and 1975 and won the World Series in 1971. Ellis also played for the New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers and New York Mets. In his MLB career, Ellis accumulated a 138–119 record, a 3.46 earned run average, and 1,136 strikeouts.
Quick Facts
- Signature game
- July 3
- 1970 – complete game
- 2 runs allowed
- Pirates won 3-2 over the Chicago Cubs
Lore & Background
Ellis threw a no-hitter on June 12, 1970, and later stated that he accomplished the feat while under the influence of LSD. He 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.
Reader's Guide
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.
Did You Know?
- He was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia at age 17; the diagnosis was later changed to sickle cell trait.
- Ellis once chased a heckler in the stands with a baseball bat during his minor league career.
- He collaborated with future United States Poet Laureate Donald Hall on a book, Dock Ellis in the Country of Baseball, published in 1976.
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