Remembering former Rangers pitcher Dock Ellis

by Steve Smith of West and Clear

Reaching back into the cobwebs of my mind, 1977 was the year I first remember being a baseball fan, and specifically a Texas Rangers fan. Dock Ellis, who died Friday at age 63, was part of that.

It was during the ownership of Fort Worth’s Brad Corbett. That year was one of the best seasons in team history, but not one without turmoil. The Rangers plowed through four managers — Frank Lucchesi, Eddie Stanky, Connie Ryan and Billy Hunter — yet still ended up in second place with a 94-78 record, eight games behind the Kansas City Royals.

Of course, one of the more notable events of that season was the acquisition of pitcher Ellis by trade from the Oakland A’s. Ellis joined a starting lineup that included Gaylord Perry, Bert Blyleven and Doyle Alexander and captured my eight-year-old imagination.

At the time, neither I nor anyone else knew that Ellis pitched a no-hitter for the Pittsburgh Pirates several years prior while tripping his ass off on LSD. I just thought it was cool that anyone not actually practicing medicine could be called “doc.” Right on.

I learned another funny story about Ellis in later years working the sports desk at the S-T. I always heard it attributed to former Startlegramer Mike Shropshire and his book on the origins of the futility of being a Rangers fan, Seasons in Hell (which is an Arthur Rimbaud reference, from back in the day when sportwriters would quote French Symbolist poetry). Whether or not it’s a Shropshire story, it’s still pretty funny, as this excellent Seventies vintage D Magazine story confirms.

In the clubhouse turmoil of that season, Ellis didn’t exactly get along with Billy Hunter. Of course, a guy who would show up for batting practice wearing pink hair curlers and describe his occupation as “minority millionaire” was probably bound to clash with a manager known as being “tight fisted.” As these things go, I didn’t take long before players were comparing the dictatorial Hunter to Adolf Hitler, which prompted Ellis to remark: “He’s Hitler, but he ain’t gonna make no lampshade outta me.” Insensitive? Yes. Hilarious? Absolutely.

The Rangers may have had better seasons than 1978 — at least ones where they reached the postseason — but they may have never had better pitching. I hadn’t thought about Dock Ellis in years, but his name brings back so many memories of summer evenings in Arlington so long ago, of watching games with my Dad and my brother with bags of peanuts and watered-down Dr Peppers. So, adios, Dock Ellis. The Rangers could win a World Series and wouldn’t have better memories than that summer.

For a really heartwarming Dock Ellis remembrance, check out this blog post.

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