Dock Ellis & the LSD No-No

I showed this video to some friends and this is
pretty much how that conversation went:

Me: Check out this video. 

Them: What the hell is the LSD No-No?

Me: This guy claims he threw a no-hitter on LSD. 

Them: What's a no-hitter?

Me: In baseball, when a pitcher goes an entire game without giving up a hit, that's a no-hitter, hence the name no hitter. 

Them: And this dude did it all hopped up on LSD?

Me: That's what he says. 

Them: Bullshit. 

Safe to say they don't buy his story. 

Seeing as there is a documentary film cleverly titled The Dockumentary coming out this year surrounding the life and career of the infamous Dock Ellis, I found it fitting to dedicate this blog post to him, and his supposed "achievement." 

To be clear, I don't say supposed as in "I don't believe him he's lying," so please don't attach that negative stigma to it. I say supposed because it's never been proven that he did or did not throw a no-hitter while under the influence of LSD, nor can it be because he unfortunately passed away in 2008. In fact, unlike my friends, I do believe him. I mean, why would he lie? There's no need to be cynical all the time! He did do drugs on a regular basis, that's a known fact, and he even claimed himself that he and some of his teammates never really played without being under the influence of some sort of drug. 

All we know is that Dock Ellis - while pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates - threw a no hitter on June 12, 1970. It was the highlight of his career, and he seems to remember a lot of it pretty well, (refer to video.)

That is really his voice in the video, by the way. He was interviewed about it and this is what he said word for word. His response is coupled in the video with some really cool animation by James Blagden. 

Although he is remembered in part for his drug and alcohol abuse, Ellis also served higher purposes throughout his career. He was vocal in denouncing racism in baseball, and petitioned successfully to get two African-American pitchers on the 1971 All-Star team, an achievement that was acknowledged by Jackie Robinson. After a stint in rehab, Ellis also helped counsel drug addicts in treatment centers and prisons.

If you want to learn more about the film you can follow it on twitter @dockumentary or you can visit the website at http://www.nonoadockumentary.com/