Ex-pitcher Ellis dies of liver disease (Dock Ellis pitched no-hitter under influence of LSD)

ESPN.com ^ | December 19, 2008 | Jerry Crasnick

[EveningStar]

Dock Ellis, the former major league pitcher best remembered for his flamboyance and social activism as a member of the great Pittsburgh Pirates teams of the 1970s, died Friday of a liver ailment in California, his former agent, Tom Reich, confirmed. Ellis was 63.

Ellis spent 12 years in the majors with Pittsburgh, the New York Yankees, Oakland, Texas and the New York Mets. He retired in 1979 with a record of 138-119, but was best known for several colorful incidents on and off the field.

[EveningStar]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dock_Ellis

[buccaneer81]

Those Pittsburgh uniforms were really something.

[Charles Henrickson]

"Dock was such a likeable person -- very gregarious, very outgoing. I would set up personal appearances for him, and after like 30 seconds, people were like relatives or neighbors. Dock was very easy to talk to. He was just a pleasure to be around."

I met Dock Ellis back in the early 1970s (I was in my late teens, he was in his mid-20s) and had a good conversation with him. He was a friendly, gregarious guy--I have to agree. A bit of an odd duck, had the reputation for being a wild guy, but he did have a certain likeability and charisma.

[buccaneer81]

Beaning a batter in an All Star game (unlike today, nothing was on the line) is every bit as bad as scumbag Pete Rose damn near killing Ray Fosse.

[buccaneer81]

had the reputation for being a wild guy, but he did have a certain likeability and charisma.

Sort of like OJ.

[Charles Henrickson]

[martin_fierro]

He and Luke Garber signed my baseball mitt one night at the old Three Rivers Stadium.

I guess his “Goo Goo Ga Joob” comment makes more sense now.

[the invisib1e hand]

"Dock was such a likeable person -- very gregarious, very outgoing. I would set up personal appearances for him, and after like 30 seconds, people were like relatives or neighbors. Dock was very easy to talk to. He was just a pleasure to be around."

Sorta like John Rocker, eh?

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Got to die of something!

[Charles Henrickson]

Dock in later years:

[Charles Henrickson]

Living on the north side of Chicago and going to hundreds and hundreds of games in the late’60s and early ‘70s, I saw all the players of the NL a lot. The Pirates were noteworthy for, among other things, having some hard-throwing black pitchers: Bob Veale, Alvin McBean, and Dock Ellis come immediately to mind.

[steelyourfaith]

Dock said that two brothers would not be starting pitchers in the 1971 All Star game. Wrong.

[Charles Henrickson]

He and Luke Garber. . . .

Do you mean Gene Garber? I don't remember a Luke Garber.

(Garber in, Garber out.)

[buccaneer81]

My first MLB game was in 1969. I was six, and living in Boston.

But 1969 at Wrigley must have killed you at the end.

[Charles Henrickson]

But 1969 at Wrigley must have killed you at the end.

Absolutely. It was very traumatic and depressing to me, 16 years old and a huge Cubs fan.

[buccaneer81]

But 1969 at Wrigley must have killed you at the end. Absolutely. It was very traumatic and depressing to me, 16 years old and a huge Cubs fan.

Living in Boston, that was me in 1975 and worse in 1978.

By 1986, I was immune.

[AGreatPer]

One day Dock Ellis had curly hair and white tie ups. He looked like he belonged in an Our Gang movie.

Here is something nobody but us Burgh people know. Dock would stay after every game (outside the park) and sign autographs as long as there were people there.

A little kookie yes, but a great person.

[scrabblehack]

As I recall, 1975 was his last year — the year before the fat pin stripes (ugly!), and then the gold with black and the black with gold. As I recall the fat pin stripes were eventually replaced by white.

[fkabuckeyesrule]

In one game against the Cincinnati reds Dock Ellis hit the first three batters.

To see his carer stats go here:

http://baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=ellisdo01