Dock Ellis
A flamboyant and outspoken pitcher who threw a no-hitter while allegedly under the influence of LSD, challenging baseball's conservative culture with his style and candor.
1945–2008 (age 63)·American baseball player·Birthday: March 11·The Silent Generation
Biography
Dock Ellis was a force of nature on and off the mound, a central figure in the swaggering, outspoken Pittsburgh Pirates teams of the early 1970s. With his signature curlers and brash talk, he embodied the era's cultural shifts within the traditionally staid world of baseball. His fastball helped the Pirates win a World Series in 1971, but his legend was cemented by his own admission that he pitched a 1970 no-hitter against the San Diego Padres while under the influence of LSD. Ellis's career was a rollercoaster of brilliant performances and public controversies, including a notorious 1974 game where he intentionally hit every Cincinnati Reds batter he faced to protest their intimidation of his teammates. After struggling with addiction, he became a dedicated drug counselor, spending his later years helping others. Ellis refused to be just a ballplayer; he was a complex, flawed, and fiercely individual personality who left an indelible mark on the game's history.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Dock was born in 1945, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dock Was Born
The biggest hits of 1945
#1 Movie
The Bells of St. Mary's
Best Picture
The Lost Weekend
Dock's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1945Born
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1950Started school
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1958Became a teenager
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1961Could drive
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1963Could vote
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Turned 21
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1975Turned 30
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 40
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 50
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 60
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2008Died at 63
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Key Achievements
- Pitched a no-hitter for the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 12, 1970.
- Was an All-Star pitcher and key member of the Pirates' 1971 World Series championship team.
- Won 19 games and led the league with a .760 winning percentage for the Pirates in 1971.
Did You Know?
He claimed he was under the influence of LSD during his 1970 no-hitter.
He once wore hair curlers during pregame warmups as a statement.
After retirement, he worked as a substance abuse counselor in a California prison.
“I was high. I was psyched. I had no feel for the ball, I had no idea about the score, the batters, the innings.”
