* Lest we forget: Dock Ellis

December 30, 2008

The last timne I went on vacation, I returned to the news that Bobby Murcer had died. This time, it’s Dock Ellis. (Just goes to show that I can’t go away for a minute.) The former Pittsburgh Pirate, who admitted to tossing his 1970 no-hitter against the San Diego Padres under the influence of LSD, died Dec. 19 at the age of 63.

Ellis — who also pitched for the Yankees, As, Rangers, and Mets, — had a record of 138-119 with a 3.46 ERA in 2127.7 innings over 12 years. He was the subject of Dock Ellis in the Country of Baseball, a biography by Donald Hall published in 1976. I found this interesting reference to the book on the Sports Illustrated website.

Ellis recalled the game in this interview, evidently recorded sometime shortly before his death.

Here’s a musical tribute. I suggest closing your eyes and just listening to the song; not sure why this guy felt the need to lipsynch.

The Amazon Report: Dock Ellis in the Country of Baseball

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{ 2 comments }

1 * EPorvaznik January 5, 2009 at 2:26 am: Thanks for linking to Zach’s Dock Ellis tribute, Ron! Much appreciated and please also take a look-see at Looking for Oscar, also available in segments at YouTube.

EP
2 * BeesGal January 8, 2009 at 1:06 pm: Hi Ron,
As always, good stuff to be found whenever I visit. Thanks for the link to the SI article. I too rate “Country” as one of my favorites. My impression of Ellis was similar as well–a man who hated being pigeon-holed as a face on a Topps card.

I have the original edition of “Country,” so the news of Ellis’ career in drug rehab was a pleasant surprise. With so many tales of athletes falling for the siren’s call of drug use–and by that I mean alcohol, narcotics or PEDs–Ellis’ post-playing accomplishments were truly impressive. For most recovering substance addicts, merely staying sober is difficult enough. For many retired athletes, adjusting to “civilian” life is, well, darn near impossible. Shame he died so young. On the other hand, Ellis seems to have made the most of his short stay by helping get the world into a bit better shape before leaving us.

And hey, Happy New Year! . . .BeesGal