{"id":102026,"date":"2025-06-12T14:54:49","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T18:54:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=102026"},"modified":"2025-06-12T16:05:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T20:05:10","slug":"dock-ellis-lsd-no-hitter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/06\/12\/dock-ellis-lsd-no-hitter\/","title":{"rendered":"55 Years Ago: Dock Ellis and the LSD No-Hitter"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On June 12, 1970, in San Diego, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/e\/ellisdo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-06-12_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dock Ellis<\/a> tossed the fourth <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/12\/17\/pirates-pitchers-top-10-part-1\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">no-hitter<\/a> in Pittsburgh Pirates history, defeating the Padres, 2-0. He struck out six batters, walked eight, hit another with a pitch, and allowed three stolen bases. Oh, yeah \u2013 and he did it all while tripping on LSD.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Today In 1970: Pittsburgh <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Pirates?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Pirates<\/a> pitcher Dock Ellis hurls a no-hitter vs. the San Diego <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Padres?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Padres<\/a> while tripping on LSD! <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/MLB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#MLB<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Baseball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Baseball<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/History?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#History<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cINmSOI8vd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/cINmSOI8vd<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Baseball by BSmile (@BSmile) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BSmile\/status\/1933142700947038333?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 12, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"bluesky-embed\" data-bluesky-uri=\"at:\/\/did:plc:vok3j6g7yrv63grj4to7byio\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3lrfxtpjipk23\" data-bluesky-cid=\"bafyreibr4dm7ed4qcw2giru2a45jtegwi4y3p6hgyszzo2rupfimghtcry\" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode=\"system\"><p>&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>June 12, 1970: Ellis and the LSD No-Hitter<\/h3>\n<p>The Pirates had arrived in San Diego the day before. It was an off day for the Pirates. Ellis, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, decided to use the day to visit friends. He figured he\u2019d be back in plenty of time to make his scheduled start in the first game of the doubleheader. He dropped a tab of acid, rented a car, and headed out to the home of a friend\u2019s girlfriend. There, a party ensued with liquor and marijuana. The next day, Ellis awoke from what he believed was a catnap and dropped more acid. Then a friend entered the room with a newspaper sports section. Ellis was scheduled to pitch in four hours. His reaction, as Ellis recalled to the <em>New York Times<\/em> in 1984: \u201cWhat happened to yesterday?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>From the mound on that evening, Ellis didn\u2019t always see his catcher, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mayje01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-06-12_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jerry May<\/a>. When he did, he rarely hit his target. In the fourth inning, he thought Richard Nixon was the home plate umpire. One time, he thought the batter was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jimihendrix.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jimi Hendrix<\/a>, swinging a guitar. Ellis was clearly in a Purple Haze of his own making.<\/p>\n<h3>Good Defense Helped Ellis Preserve His No-Hitter<\/h3>\n<p>Although Ellis would recall later that the Padres loaded the bases \u201ctwo or three times\u201d during his no-hitter, no Padre reached third base. The Padres came close to a hit just three times but were robbed by the Pirates&#8217; fielders. Center fielder <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/a\/alouma01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-06-12_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Matty Alou<\/a>, who was not known for his defense, ran down <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=cannich01,canniz003chr&amp;search=Chris+Cannizzaro&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-06-12_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chris Cannizzaro<\/a>\u2019s line drive in the second inning and charged in to catch <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/c\/colbena01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-06-12_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nate Colbert<\/a>\u2019s line drive at his knees in the eighth. The closest the Padres came to a hit was when pinch-hitter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/w\/webstra02.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ram\u00f3n Webster<\/a> led off the seventh inning with a line drive headed toward right field. However, second baseman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mazerbi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-06-12_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bill Mazeroski<\/a>, known for <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/10\/08\/pirates-1960-world-series-forbes-field-wall\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">rising to big occasions<\/a>, dove to his left and made the grab. Lost in the excitement of the no-hitter were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/stargwi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-06-12_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Willie Stargell<\/a>\u2019s two solo home runs, accounting for the game\u2019s only runs.<\/p>\n<p>The previous game\u2019s starter, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/moosebo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-06-12_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bob Moose<\/a>, was charged with keeping the pitching chart. But he abandoned that task to see the trainer in the second inning. Thus, there\u2019s no exact count of the number of pitches Ellis threw en route to his no-hitter, but it was estimated at 150. (Managers and pitching coaches of today, take note. A man exceeded 100 pitches by about half, and his arm didn\u2019t fall off.)<\/p>\n<h3>\u201cThe Tanks Were Parked Right Outside Our House\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>After the game, there was no indication that Ellis was high on anything or that something was off with him. He spoke intelligently to Bill Christine of <em>The Pittsburgh Press<\/em> and Charley Feeney of the <em>Pittsburgh Post-Gazette<\/em>. He told Christine he felt no pressure. He\u2019d lived through the Watts riots in 1965 when his mother was almost shot. \u201cThe tanks were parked right outside our house,\u201d he said. \u201cThat was pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Of Webster\u2019s ball, Ellis told Christsine, \u201cWhen that ball was hit, I wasn\u2019t worried about it being caught. Maz is the master out there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis fastball was sailing tonight, and his breaking ball was real good,\u201d said Padres center fielder <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/murreiv01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-06-12_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ivan Murrell<\/a> in the same article. \u201cHe might have been throwing harder when we faced him in Pittsburgh [and he beat the Padres with a six-hitter], but he was tougher to follow tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>\u201cI Had a Feeling of Euphoria\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>Why Ellis chose to reveal the true story behind his no-hitter to <em>Press<\/em> reporter Bob Smizik on April 8, 1984, is unknown. It was the same day the <em>Press<\/em> reported that Pirates pitcher <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/scurrro01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-06-12_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rod Scurry<\/a> was seeking treatment for a cocaine addiction. Perhaps Smizik contacted Ellis, then working as a drug counselor, to discuss Scurry\u2019s situation. Instead, Smizik had landed a big scoop. \u201cI can only remember bits and pieces of the game,\u201d he told Smizik. \u201cI had a feeling of euphoria.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By 1984, trainer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bartito01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-06-12_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tony Bartirome<\/a> was the only current member of the Pirates who was with the team when Ellis pitched his no-hitter. He accused Ellis of lying. \u201cThat\u2019s crazy,\u201d he told Bruce Keidan of the <em>Post-Gazette<\/em>. \u201cI wonder what he wants to lie for. I don\u2019t know why he\u2019s saying that, but if he were standing right here, I\u2019d tell him to his face what a liar he was.\u201d Then again, Bartirome, who was born in 1932, apparently knew little about such matters. After all, he never noticed anything was amiss with Scurry.<\/p>\n<p>Keidan gave Mazeroski a call to get his take on the matter. \u201cMaz\u201d was more succinct. He had \u201cno idea\u201d whether Ellis was on drugs that night. \u201cHe always seemed weird to me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo Credits: \u00a0Brett Davis-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On June 12, 1970, in San Diego, Dock Ellis tossed the fourth no-hitter in Pittsburgh Pirates history, defeating the Padres, 2-0. He struck out six batters, walked eight, hit another with a pitch, and allowed three stolen bases. Oh, yeah \u2013 and he did it all while tripping on LSD. &nbsp; Today In 1970: Pittsburgh [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5010,"featured_media":102043,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26,1071,35],"tags":[5116,5636,5452],"class_list":["post-102026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pirates","category-mlb","category-news","tag-bill-mazeroski","tag-nate-colbert","tag-willie-stargell"],"modified_by":"Chris Drosehn","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5010"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102026"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102026\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":102045,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102026\/revisions\/102045"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/102043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}