Dock Ellis, 2 Other Former Pitchers Pass On
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Righthanded starter Dock Ellis, who pitched for 5 teams during his 10 year Major League career, was one of 3 pitchers to pass away in recent days. Also dead are former Houston closer Dave Smith, who saved 216 games over a 13 year career and who passed away on Wednesday and 5 year veteran Nick Willhite.
Ellis passed away Friday at the USC Medical Center in Los Angeles after battling a liver ailment. He was best known for his civil rights activism, for giving up a mammoth Reggie Jackson homer which hit off of the Tiger Stadium light tower 520 feet from home plate in the 1971 All-Star Game in Detroit and for drilling Cincinnati Reds’ Pete Rose, Joe Morgan and Dan Driessen in succession in the top of the first inning in a May 1, 1974 game while with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ellis retired in 1979 having compiled a career mark of 138-119.
ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick notes;
Ellis suffered from cirrhosis of the liver and was placed on a list to receive a liver transplant in May. The Los Angeles Times wrote that Ellis had no health insurance, but received help paying his medical bills from friends in baseball.
Bill Scaringe, an agent who represented Ellis after he retired, said Ellis worked for years in the California department of corrections helping inmates transition from prison back to the community. He also ran a drug counseling center in Los Angeles.
“It’s very disheartening,” Scaringe said. “Dock was such a likeable person — very gregarious, very outgoing. I would set up personal appearances for him, and after like 30 seconds, people were like relatives or neighbors. Dock was very easy to talk to. He was just a pleasure to be around.”
Dock Ellis, gone at 63 years of age.
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