#179-180 Dock Ellis-Dock Ellis In Action

OK lets’ get the elephant in room out of the way...Now known for his 1984 claim of pitching a no hitter in 1970 while on LSD to a ragtag assortment of MLB wanta-bes called the Padres first comes to mind in a word association game....somewhat more amusing antidote and the subject of animated short it covers up his career long struggle with drugs and alcohol addiction.....his personal issues surfaced later on, but the duration of his career he was labeled controversial and outspoken on racial relations....given the no hitter in an altered state, he was so close to superstardom, small injuries and the personal issues also pulling him back...when ON carried a team, top winner with Pirates staff 1971 with 19....lowered his ERA but fewer victories in 1972....gradual dimming of his on the field limelight from then on with accumulating confrontations....parted ways with Pittsburgh in 1975 off season a  thrown in a swap with the Yankees...New surroundings agreed with Dock taking in 17 wins and Comeback Player of the Year....his 1976 post season work mirrored his 1971 record pitching a Championship Series win but a poor WS outing....1977 a wild run...ran afoul quickly with NYY management despite 3 quality starts....exiled off to baseball’s version of a post-nuclear wasteland in the 1977 Oakland A’s...horrid results....season was saved by acquisition to the Texas Rangers...pitched decently winning 10 with a sub-3.00 ERA....won 9 in 1978 but 4.20 indicated his skills had eroded....an unimpressive 4-12 record with three teams in 1979 spelled the end of Dock’s saga....in effort to redeem his person, became a drug counselor within and outside the game....eventually his body weakened by years of hard living, succumbed to liver failure in 2008....the animated short on Dock’s no hitter can be seen on Youtube...if one wants to see a complete profile that far exceeds this bio of a complex man check out No-no, A Dockumentary.