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Did Dock Ellis really throw a no-hitter on LSD?
doubledragon
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in Sports Talk
I came across this insane story, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres on June 12, 1970 while high on LSD also known as "acid". He said that during the game at one time he thought Richard Nixon was the home plate umpire, and at one point he thought he was pitching to Jimi Hendrix, who was swinging a guitar instead of a bat.
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I can definitely see this story being true, heck, Aaron Rodgers won two MVP's while tripping balls.
Yup. If you’re used to acid you can function quite well on it. Obviously it wasn’t Doc’s first time. I am a ‘70’s survivor so take it from someone with experience
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
There is a documentary out on the intertubes called "No No: A Dockumentary (2014)"
"No No: A Dockumentary (2014)"....that's a decent watch....
I don't believe the story.
I've never tried LSD and never will. However I've been to parties where it was being used, and I've seen those high on it and how they act.
They could barely pick their nose, let alone pitch a baseball game.
I'm sure nothing I say will change your mind, but I'll throw in my .02.
I experimented with "acid" for a time in the late 1970's, sometimes you could be unbelievably focused on what you were doing.
I can see a professional player, who is used to the drug, doing something like pitching a no hitter. Of course, too big a dose and you would be terrible.
David Wells was still drunk/extremely hungover when he threw his perfect game.
I'm not doubting your viewpoint based on your experience. I'm just stating what I observed. Maybe they used too big of a dose.
In my opinion, perhaps your added focus on LSD would be beneficial in say something such as songwriting. Of which at least some songwriters including the Beatles, have admitted they were on LSD when writing certain songs. But how your "focus" would have been pitching a MLB game, I think is an entirely different matter.
Physical activity while on LSD, just doesn't seem like a good idea to me, or as a way to successfully pitch a MLB game. You're right, I still don't believe this Dock Ellis story.
I remember at one party, a guy who I worked with, I was sure was on LSD because he offered me some which I refused. I wasn't paying close attention to him at this party because I was interested in chatting with the fine ladies. But at one point he stood up and loudly said, "I just saw an elephant go across the room." By the way, for the record, there was no elephant in that room. 😆
unbelievably, there is footage of this
Dude, is this screwing with anybody's head? Whoa, I'm on acid.
Yea, that vision helps ya focus on home plate while pitching, right Dock? 😆
Hilarious short video..."What happened to yesterday??"
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Pasted from Wiki:
Assessments of LSD claim
Bob Smizik of the Pittsburgh Press, who first broke the story in 1984, believes Ellis' version of events that day, although Smizik did not witness the game in person. Bill Christine, also of the Pittsburgh Press, does not believe Ellis' claim and was at the game that day. Christine was a beat reporter who "practically lived with the team that year." Christine had said that he did not notice anything unusual and that if Ellis had reported to the stadium only 90 minutes before his scheduled start, reporters would have been told. John Mehno, a reporter who had "extensive interactions" with Ellis over his career, was skeptical about many stories told by Ellis, including the LSD no-hitter. Mehno said that he has not found a teammate who would corroborate the story.[32] However, Ellis' close friend Scipio Spinks, a pitcher for the Houston Astros, has said that he has no doubt that Ellis was telling the truth about his LSD use, as he was very familiar with Ellis' drug habits, including the use of LSD.[31]
The no-hitter in pop culture
Ellis collaborated with future United States Poet Laureate Donald Hall on a book, Dock Ellis in the Country of Baseball, published in 1976. The first edition of the book reported that Ellis had been drinking vodka on the day of his no-hitter. Hall updated the 1989 edition to reveal the LSD use.[33][34] Singer-songwriter Barbara Manning paid tribute to Ellis and his no-hitter in the psychedelic pop song "Dock Ellis",[35] as did folk singer Todd Snider with "America's Favorite Pastime" on his 2009 album The Excitement Plan. A 2009 animated short film by James Blagden about the game, Dock Ellis and the LSD No-No, features narration in Ellis' own voice, taken from a 2008 NPR interview.[36][37] The no-hitter is featured in the documentary about Ellis' life, No No: A Dockumentary (2014), directed by Jeffrey Radice.[38] Robin Williams riffed on Ellis and his no-hitter as part of a segment on performance-enhancing drugs in sports, during his 2009 HBO special Weapons of Self-Destruction.
We should get together sometime and drop some acid Steve, but only on a special occasion, perhaps Aaron Rodgers birthday. 🤔
But at one point he stood up and loudly said, "I just saw an elephant go across the room." By the way, for the record, there was no elephant in that room. 😆
Growing up, myself and my siblings also ignored the elephant in the room.
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Ralph
My goodness, has everyone on the forum done LSD except me? I need to find the nearest hippie drug dealer and score a couple of hits for my wife and me. Should be a blast!
He's has changed his story over the years, altering and adding to it. I've never believed tyre story and am certain he's lying.