Here's the AP obit. with a little more detail. It's hard to remember how great the Pirates were back then, now that they're working on the record to be the worst team ever. posted by octothorpe at 7:34 AM on December 20, 2008
I've often thought that my Metafilter comments would be better if I were on LSD.
Your comments would probably seem better too. posted by twoleftfeet at 7:46 AM on December 20, 2008
<small><small><small><small><small><small>
. </small></small></small></small></small></small> posted by ardgedee at 8:24 AM on December 20, 2008 [1 favorite]
I first found out about Dock through Barbara Manning's song. As Lipstick Thespian alludes, Dock wasn't just a great pitcher, he was a spark plug for his teammates and a righteous dude.
...........o O-<_< posted by dunkadunc at 8:45 AM on December 20, 2008
It still amazes me every time I hear about it that he didn't just stand on the mound and watch the stitching move. Or grind his teeth to dust with all the speed in his system. RIP, Dock. posted by sleepy pete at 8:55 AM on December 20, 2008
Or just freak the fuck out because he was in a stadium pitching a major league baseball game. posted by josher71 at 8:58 AM on December 20, 2008 [4 favorites]
i suppose when he got batted out early in a game he blamed the brown acid posted by pyramid termite at 9:53 AM on December 20, 2008
I never considered acid to be "performance-enhancing", particularly at the major league level. Perhaps if one is performing free-form interpretive dance at a Dead show. posted by Cletis at 10:01 AM on December 20, 2008
Dock Ellis D
no-no
My favorite baseball story ever
. posted by isopraxis at 10:14 AM on December 20, 2008
pUrpl3 MoNkeY diShwAshEr PuRpLE moNk3y DIshWash3r purpL3 MONk3y DISHwAsh3R PURPL3 monkey DIshWAshER pUrpl3 MoNkeY diShwAshEr PuRpLE moNk3y DIshWash3r purpL3 MONk3y DISHwAsh3R PURPL3 monkey DIshWAshER You know what would be awesome? pUrpl3 MoNkeY diShwAshEr PuRpLE moNk3y DIshWash3r purpL3 MONk3y DISHwAsh3R PURPL3 monkey DIshWAshER If someone enabled the April Fool's color changing script just for this thread. pUrpl3 MoNkeY diShwAshEr PuRpLE moNk3y DIshWash3r purpL3 MONk3y DISHwAsh3R PURPL3 monkey DIshWAshER posted by DecemberBoy at 10:31 AM on December 20, 2008 [1 favorite]
Hey Doc, hope you're tripping your balls off. posted by doctorschlock at 10:45 AM on December 20, 2008
As Robin Williams said, it would be more fun to give LSD to the umpire: "Don't steal home-Share it!" posted by jonmc at 10:48 AM on December 20, 2008
From the Snopes link:An unfortunate aspect of Dock Ellis' admission is that he is now remembered by many people (especially those too young to have seen him play during his heyday with the Pirates) as "the guy who pitched a no-hitter on drugs," a characterization which not only slights a baseball career that included some very fine moments, but also obscures the many acts of charity and conscience in which Ellis engaged both during and after his playing days: he worked with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections to rehabilitate black prisoners, helped start the Black Athletes Foundation for Sickle Cell Research, and served as the coordinator of an anti-drug program in Los Angeles. posted by MegoSteve at 10:51 AM on December 20, 2008 [4 favorites]
Is there no footage that exists of this legendary LSD no-hitter? posted by crapmatic at 11:35 AM on December 20, 2008
Here's the AP obit. with a little more detail.
(And a little more...)
He was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver in late 2007 and put on the transplant list in 2008. Having no health insurance, he had to rely on friends and former co-workers to cover his medical bills. The obit was a little light on the details, and I figure Dock probably deserves more than a dot.
The other thing I wanted to add was, even if the LSD story is completely true, I still think the stunt he pulled on May 1, 1974 was more incredible ("We gonna get down. We gonna do the do. I’m going to hit these motherfuckers.") You gotta be some kind of bad ass to announce that you're going to hit the other team's players, then proceed to actually do it over and over again until you get thrown out of the game.
I wish I could find a video of that first inning... posted by Civil_Disobedient at 11:37 AM on December 20, 2008
From the Snopes link: An unfortunate aspect of Dock Ellis' admission is that he is now remembered by many people (especially those too young to have seen him play during his heyday with the Pirates) as "the guy who pitched a no-hitter on drugs"...
That's probably because he was the fucking guy who fucking pitched a fucking no-hitter on fucking L.S.D. I have a serious crisis resulting in the need to lie down when I attempt to pick out a record to listen to while on the stuff. posted by Item at 11:38 AM on December 20, 2008 [6 favorites]
I never considered acid to be "performance-enhancing", particularly at the major league level.
I should apologize - I used an unfair, sideways kind of sarcasm that only reveals itself to the reader if they've let no less than 4 and 1/2 hits of gel dissolve in their mouths. posted by Item at 11:43 AM on December 20, 2008
Yeah, what Item said. Pitching a no-hitter on drugs is not really a biggie, as I'm quite sure several steroid and/or speed abusers have done so. I'm also old enough to have seen Dock Ellis pitch on a 13" B&W TV with rabbit ears. So yay for Snopes, stick to the debunking and leave the editorializing out of it. posted by fixedgear at 11:45 AM on December 20, 2008
One last thought: I find sports - and baseball in particular - more boring than taking acid with a couple of 16 year old girls that just finished up their shifts at the local mall's Claire's Accessories. I 'd never have known about ol' Dock if he hadn't cemented this episode into legend. posted by Item at 11:49 AM on December 20, 2008
.........
.........
......... posted by jtron at 12:22 PM on December 20, 2008
That is by far one of the best sports stories ever. posted by Artw at 12:27 PM on December 20, 2008
[Intimidation is] "such an important aspect of the game," he says. "Like hitting batsmen. All hitters know they're gonna get hit. They just don't know when. The kicker for the truly good hitters is, you cannot hit me as many times as I'm gonna hit you. They take that hit to get six hits. But you gotta pop their ass so you can get an 0 for 4 on them one day. Don't get cocky now, motherfucker. The challenge is on. So let's get it on. Other guys might explain it differently, have different reasons, but that was mine.
"Right about the time I left, it changed. You can't throw at anyone without getting thrown out of the game. The announcers today say it ruins the game. They never talk about the fights that Cincinnati and St. Louis got into 30 years ago. Barry Bonds? I'd hit him at least once a game. 'Cause he's got all that shit on. Yeah, let's see that shit stop the ball from hurting him if I hit him on the motherfucking elbow or something. I'd hit him just to see, does it work?" posted by FelliniBlank at 12:41 PM on December 20, 2008 [5 favorites]
Hm. Wonder if he's the namesake of St. Louis' Dock Ellis Band. Who are a fine menschy bunch themselves. posted by limeonaire at 12:51 PM on December 20, 2008
Barry Bonds? I'd hit him at least once a game. 'Cause he's got all that shit on. Yeah, let's see that shit stop the ball from hurting him if I hit him on the motherfucking elbow or something. I'd hit him just to see, does it work?
eh, it hardly compares, but -- i once won a croquet game while tripping hard. it was impossible not to get a perfect shot: whenever i looked at a wicket, the grass between it and the ball would transform into perfect little green targets. zeroed in. all i had to do was hit the ball, and it zipped right down the little path of bulls-eyes and through the wire. hardly compares to a major league game; but because of this experience, i have a certain appreciation for that no-hitter Doc pitched. i learned of it only a short time after the croquet game, and it just made so much sense. "ahhh... yeah!" posted by lapolla at 3:04 PM on December 20, 2008 [1 favorite]
One of my faves, a great pitcher for those great Pirates teams. Little known fact: Dock gave up what is probably the most famous home run in All-Star Game history, Reggie Jackson's blast off the light stanchion at Tiger Stadium in 1971. posted by stargell at 3:52 PM on December 20, 2008
Willie? Is that you? posted by netbros at 4:50 PM on December 20, 2008
In a game with so many kick ass characters, Dock Ellis still stands out as one of the greats. I'll be honest that I don't remember him as a great player, but has always struck me as just a cool fucking guy. posted by Slack-a-gogo at 6:09 PM on December 20, 2008 [1 favorite]
I played a great game of pinball while tripping. It was only later than my friend told me that I had neglected to put in a quarter. posted by jonmc at 6:10 PM on December 20, 2008 [4 favorites]
I was always very impressed by this. I function pretty well under the influence of acid but some things are impossible - for example, I'm completely unable to tune a guitar.
My best moment of competence... I put a CD into my player as the acid came on and it got stuck. This was before mp3s so I had two choices: 1. trip without music 2. take my CD player apart (a 200-CD changer), remove the CD, put it back together.
I opted for 2. It was hairy. My mind kept drifting. The CD was jammed and slightly bent in place - I had to drag it out by main force. As I was putting the screws back in, it was coming on very hard (four hits). I put a CD in... and it worked. Hail Eris!
(This is not at all comparable to pitching a no-hitter - let alone in the majors...)
Or just freak the fuck out because he was in a stadium pitching a major league baseball game.
posted by josher71 at 8:58 AM on December 20 [4 favorites +] [!]
I'd never thought of that. Thanks for pointing it out. posted by sleepy pete at 6:24 PM on December 20, 2008
I been to mushroom mountain
Once or twice but who's countin'
But nothing compares
To these blue and yellow purple pills posted by titboy at 9:32 AM on December 21, 2008
No post on Dock Ellis would be complete without mentioning Chuck Brodsky's song Dock Ellis’s No-No from his excellent album of baseball songs, The Baseball Ballads. It is also worth mentioning that he co-wrote his autobiography (Amazon link)with the future poet-laureate of the United States. Here is an article about his illness, and here is some more info on the home run he gave up to Reggie Jackson. Definitely one of baseball's most memorable characters, and from what those who knew him say an all-around great guy. posted by TedW at 1:51 PM on December 21, 2008
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(for completeness, our prior discussion on his amazing game)
posted by caddis at 7:33 AM on December 20, 2008