RIP Dock Ellis

It's a great story and it's probably about 10 percent true.

Dock was a decent guy, but he was a bullshitter of the highest order. Nothing pleased him more than when people bought his tall tales.

 

Sloan, I'd agree except for one thing, Dude walked around the clubhouse with curlers in his head. I think probably more than half of what he said was true.

 

A great name from the days of some of classic Pirate teams.

The story says he played in the majors 12 years and had no health insurance. Now there's something good the players union could work on.

 

They do. It's called BAT.

 

So the story is incorrect? Or players of his era aren't covered?

 

Many old players are not covered. BAT --- Baseball Assistance Team -- helps these guys finiancially and with health and insurance issues. BAT is not connected to the MLBPA.

 

People talk about Dock's no-hitter, but what about his all-hitter? He once loaded the bases against the Reds by hitting Rose, Concepcion and Morgan to open the first inning.

I've seen no-hitters since, but I've never seen that.

 

Hey, it was probably smarter than pitching to those guys, and easier than pitching around them.

 

Good catch spnited. I often wonder why it isn't connected.

 

While a Texas Ranger, Dock once said of Texas' martinet manager Billy Hunter, a sort of poor man's Earl Weaver, "He ain't gonna make a lampshade outta me."

RIP

 

Sirs, Madames,

I sorta vaguely half-remember some sort of connextion of Doc and sickle-cell. Don't know if it was him, wife, kid or something.

o-<

 

Yep, that was the Bucs first game of the year against the Reds and Dock was out to show the Big Red Machine the Pirates weren't going to be intimidated by them. I thik the Pirates won the division that year, not sure.
If I remember Steve Blass' story correctly.