Acid Test on the Mound: Dock Ellis’ Legendary No-Hitter

The Unbelievable Tale of LSD, No-Hitters, and Baseball's Ultimate Wild Card

Since the offseason has been slow and we're approaching New Year's weekend, let's have some fun. Today, I’m serving up a wild story that’ll make your curveballs spin. Picture this: June 12, 1970, a day that Dock Ellis, the Pirates’ pitching maestro, decided to redefine “tripping” in baseball. The dude went full psychedelic mode and tossed a no-hitter while high on acid. Yeah, you heard it – LSD, not ESPN, was his game-day prep!

So, Ellis is chilling in San Diego, ready to face the Padres, but here’s the kicker: he’s tripping balls. Not your average pre-game routine, right? The man walked eight batters, beaned one, and still kept the Padres scoreless. Talk about an A.J. Burnett Special but with a hallucinogenic twist!

But wait, it gets better. A day before his start, Ellis is living it up in LA with his friends on an off day, popping acid and losing track of time. Wakes up on game day, thinks it’s still tomorrow, and, yep, takes another acid trip. Dock’s friend tells him it’s gameday, and he’s gotta pitch. He rushes to San Diego and makes it with about 90 minutes left before the first pitch.

Imagine being so high you can’t feel the ball, barely see your catcher, and think Richard Nixon’s calling balls and strikes while Jimi Hendrix swings a guitar at your pitches. That’s precisely what Ellis claimed was his reality during this mind-bending game.

Fourteen years later, Ellis drops this bombshell, and people say, “Wait, what?” Some skeptics are raising eyebrows, and MLB’s tight-lipped about the whole game footage. But hey, who cares? The story’s a legend in itself.

Beyond this LSD-laced no-hitter, Dock Ellis was a force of nature. The dude tried to bean every batter in a game against the Reds in ’74 just to show the Big Red Machine who’s boss. He once set fire to pitching charts in the locker room and even got a stern “No curlers on the field” from the Commissioner. Talk about a rebel with a fastball!

But Ellis wasn’t just a wild card. He was a pioneer, standing up for black players’ rights and calling out baseball’s racial biases. He was an early voice for free agency and, post-baseball, turned his life around to help others fight their substance battles.

Dock Ellis passed away in 2008, but his legacy – whether it’s a trippy tale or a testament to his talent – lives on. So here’s to Dock, the guy who showed us that sometimes, in baseball, the wildest stories might just be the truest.

Happy 23rd Birthday to Julio Rodriguez, one of my favorite players to watch in the game today. He brings excitement to his team that is second to none and can take control of the game with his bat, as seen by his MLB record of 17 hits over 4 games this past season, or this home run derby performance. Let’s celebrate by watching some taters.

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