march december american professional baseball player pitcher played major_league_baseball pittsburgh_pirates new_york_yankees texas_rangers new_york_mets mlb career win loss record earned run average strikeouts threw hitter june later stated accomplished feat influence reporters game believe claim starting pitcher national_league year pirates world series champions joining yankees helped lead team world series named year process outspoken individual advocated rights players african americans substance abuse problem acknowledged retirement pitched use drugs going treatment remained sober devoted remainder life counseling drug treatment centers prisons died liver age early life attended california age began drinking drugs played school basketball team recording assists game played baseball local semi professional team called future major team managed refused play baseball team baseball player referred caught drinking smoking marijuana high school bathroom senior year school agreed expel agreed play school baseball team appeared games named league attended junior college age diagnosed cell diagnosis later changed cell trait playing career minor league career attended major_league_baseball teams attempted sign professional contract heard pittsburgh_pirates gave signing bonuses held pirates offer arrested stealing car given probation working scout pirates signed pirates result arrest pirates offered month signing bonus played pirates class new_york season played class league class aaa international league pitched exhibition game pirates cleveland_indians july receiving win season pirates added man roster played class southern league pitching win loss record earned run average era star game appearance pirates called majors near end season team use game year started season columbus believed major league club pirates number african american players felt team want white fans sent believed length hair said promoted columbus head win loss record record columbus minor league career chased stands baseball bat pills pitched specifically stressed pressure miss status prospect addicted later said pitched game eventually needed game depending strength acknowledged began use cocaine late 1960s held pirates february came terms team march pirates optioned columbus moved starting rotation bullpen columbus credited work manager pitching coach improving performance pittsburgh pirates mlb debut june beginning relief pitcher pirates moved starting rotation later season pitched complete game september win loss record era pirates team starting rotation opening day struggles kept starting rotation moved bullpen june hitter self reportedly influence threw hitter san_diego_padres friday june game pirates flew san_diego thursday june series reported visited friend los_angeles times thinking thursday took hit friday noon friend girlfriend reminded scheduled pitch night flew los_angeles san_diego arrived game started threw hitter despite unable feel ball batter catcher clearly said catcher jerry wore reflective tape fingers helped signals walked batters struck aided excellent fielding plays second baseman center fielder recounted remember bits pieces game feeling catcher glove didn hit glove remember hitting couple batters bases loaded times ball small ball large saw catcher didn tried hitter throw looking turned powder started having crazy idea fourth inning richard_nixon home plate umpire thought pitching baseball holding guitar swinging plate fielding chances remember diving way ball thought line drive jumped ball wasn hit hard reached reported season continued use animated short film game features narration voice taken npr interview assessments claim believes version events day witness game person reporter broke story believe claim game day beat reporter practically lived team year said notice unusual says reported stadium minutes scheduled start reporters told reporter extensive interactions career skeptical stories told including hitter said found teammate story close friends pitcher said doubt telling truth use familiar dock drug habits including use struggled remainder season finished year win loss record experienced elbow shoulder pain finished second seventh era pirates won national_league east division championship started game national league championship series cincinnati_reds took loss pirates lost series reds games worked season rewarded named starting pitcher defeated philadelphia_phillies score strong start season posting win loss record named appear held tiger stadium detroit selected starter publicly stated manager start brothers anderson surprised naming starting pitcher losing pitcher game game hit home run home run estimated traveled feet tied home run hit longest measured home run record time opposed jackson face retaliation earlier home run started game earning victory san_francisco_giants series created stir complaining pirates complaining organization cheap changed hotels said hotel rooms small started game world series baltimore_orioles losing effort lasted innings allowed hits runs including home runs denied pain game later acknowledged elbow pain limited performance wondered cell trait related pain pirates defeated seven games win world series finished season win loss record era placed fourth young award wins fifth best league winning percentage fourth best incident missed team bus stadium security guard asked identification complied allowed identification guard said identify appeared drunk threatening gestures closed fist countered showing world series ring evidence affiliation pirates response guard arrested charged conduct reds sued assault going trial reds dropped suit wrote letter apology municipal court dropped charges stated incident hate better finished season ninth era sixth winning percentage fourth walks innings pitched home runs innings ratio pirates won year faced reds pirates pitched sore arm reds won series said moment career attempted pitch sober game pre game recreate pitching mechanics went locker took coffee returned pitch august pictures circulated wearing hair bullpen pre game pirates told wear field agreed charged pirates displaying racism devoted spread inspired hair defeated reds score game claimed threw anderson umpire check found evidence book admitted wearing hair produced sweat hair throw modified version missed month season elbow despite strong start playoff chase final week season pirates lost division new_york_mets led league home runs allowed innings pitched ratio attempted hit batter cincinnati_reds lineup angry pirates intimidated admired concerned respond decided regardless hit rose inning cleanup batter avoided attempts drew walk pitch thrown head threw pitches aimed head point removed game manager box score game reads follows tied players mlb record hit batsmen inning struggled start season pitching win loss record era july subsequently won consecutive games pitching seven completed games game stretch line drive bat fractured fifth bone pitching hand september prematurely ending season seventh best walks plus hits inning pitched ratio pirates won east lost games los_angeles_dodgers healthy begin season continued perform beginning season august pirates asked pitch bullpen refused consecutive nights august refused assignment bullpen result pirates suspended day called team meeting day expected apologize instead responded ordering pitcher attempting fight reportedly tried fight pirates suspended thirty days fined suspension lifted august apologized pitched win loss record era season pirates won east swept reds games pitched relief innings game new_york_yankees traded offseason fallout suspension december traded new_york_yankees american_league pitcher infield prospect exchange pitcher tired behavior pittsburgh general manager insisted yankees deal yankees pitched win loss record era regular season wins eighth winning percentage best season voted comeback player year yankees won division championship started game american league championship series getting win yankees reached world series started game received loss allowing earned runs innings reds defeated yankees games texas_rangers season publicly criticized yankees owner giving raise inadequate given performance interfering manager refused sign contract yankees want players free agents yankees traded april emerged starting pitcher yankees season struggled pitching oakland team asked charts defiant set charts fire setting ranked thing career june rangers purchased second half season going era complained manager liquor policy hunter responding team flight banned liquor team flights vowed bring liquor plane toronto led player insurrection manager authoritarian style declaring hunter hitler ain making rangers organization blamed team disappointing finish indicated look trade owner sided hunter firing hunter season new_york_mets return pittsburgh starting season win loss record traded new_york_mets june minor league pitchers seeking upgrade pitching staff poor performances injuries skip acquired boston_red_sox day went era requested send pirates seeking pitching pennant race pirates purchased september undisclosed sum money price later revealed excess price relief appearances pirates year retiring season finished career lifetime win loss record era pitching style threw distinct pitches fastball called sliding fastball pitch distinct trusted catcher pitches rarely asked new sign kept called book detailed information hitter strengths weaknesses asked teammates members teams including pitchers advice pitch opposing batters personal life married times wife divorced second wife divorced wife fourth children grandchildren daughters died complications arising type diabetes daughter son played college basketball fathered youngest daughter second passed december losing battle cancer stopped drugs alcohol son infant fought players rights including right free agency credited trying rights african american players warned said testified united states experiences cell later worked people disease raised money cell research collaborated future united_states poet book published hall knew incident include edition book retirement retired baseball spring saying lost interest game year entered drug treatment staying days meadows arizona revealed pitched hitter influence lived california worked california drug counselor prisoners pittsburgh prison california yankees hired 1980s work minor league players including drug problems began teaching weekly classes individuals convicted driving influence appeared film directed served player coach went era seven saves team bullpen allowed earned runs recorded saves league folded continued play diagnosed placed list liver health insurance friends baseball career helped pay medical bills suffered heart damage weeks life impossible died december medical center liver services held funeral home interred park cemetery california life subject critically acclaimed documentary film
Dock Ellis