Throwing a no-hitter in baseball is one
of the toughest things in sports.
Now imagine doing it on acid.
Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis did.
Friday, June 12, 1970.
A 25-year-old right-hander
named Doc Ellis took the mound to face
the San Diego Padres. Ellis had
reportedly visited a friend in Los
Angeles the day before and used LSD
multiple times. Thinking it was still
Thursday, Ellis took another hit of LSD
just hours before he was supposed to
pitch. After being reminded of his
impending start, Ellis flew last-minute
from LA to San Diego, arriving 90 minutes
before first pitch.
And then he pitched a f*cking no-hitter.
Ellis tossed nine scoreless innings
in a 2-0 win, despite suffering
from an inability to feel the ball, or see
the catcher and batter clearly.
Catcher Jerry May wore reflective tape
around his fingers, which helped Ellis
see May's signs.
He finished the wild outing with
eight walks, but that was it.
As Ellis later recalled,
"I could only remember bits and pieces of
the game. I was psyched.
I had a feeling of euphoria.
The ball was small sometimes.
The ball was large sometimes.
Sometimes I saw
the catcher. Sometimes I didn't.
Sometimes I tried to stare
the hitter down and throw
while I was looking at him.
I chewed my gum
until it turned to powder.
I started having a crazy idea
in the fourth inning
that Richard Nixon was
the home plate umpire,
and I once thought I was pitching a
baseball to Jimi Hendrix, who to me
was holding a guitar and swinging it
over the plate.
Ellis claims he never used LSD during
the baseball season again,
but still used amphetamines.
He later admitted to regretting
that day because it 'robbed him
of his greatest professional memory.'
After he retired from baseball, Ellis
entered drug rehab.
While in treatment, he admitted
to never pitching a single
game of his career sober.
He eventually beat his addiction
and devoted the rest of his life
counseling drug addicts.
He passed away in 2008
at the age of 63.
Ellis finished his MLB career
with 138 wins.
But none more memorable —
or unbelievable — than this one.
