The LSD Psychedelic No-Hitter- No One Died June 12, 2010

Dallas Braden Celebrated His Mother's Day No-Hitter

On this Date in History:  A pitcher throwing a no-hitter is quite an accomplishment as going through an entire Major League line-up without giving up a single hit to big league hitters is quite difficult.  Typically, it happens 2 or 3 times in any given season.  Every now and then a pitcher not only denies any hits, but he also issues no walks, does not hit a batter and his teammates to do give up an error.  That would mean that 27 men came to the plate and 27 men went back to the dugout.  Perfect games are pretty rare, though Oakland A’s pitcher Dallas Braden pulled off the feat this year against the Tampa Bay Rays and there were two others as well, which is very odd. 

Speed Makes Hitting Difficult..throw in some wildness and you can really be effective

Most of the time, a no-hitter is celebrated.  There have been some interesting ones that end up with a pitcher giving up zero hits but still losing the game.  Then there was the time that Nolan Ryan no-hit the Tigers in 1973 (box score).  Ryan was one of the hardest throwers in baseball history and racked up 5,714 strikeouts in his storied career.  He had 7 no-hitters, 12 one-hitters and 18 two-hitters.  Early in his career, he was wild and so batters had a sense of fear going against a guy who wasn’t too accurate with his pitches that often reached 100 mph.  In the 6-0 victory, Ryan struck out 17 Tigers but walked 4, which wasn’t too bad considering he walked 8 in his next no-hitter.  But, he was just wild enough to keep the Tigers on edge.  In the 9th inning, the Tigers’ Norm Cash came to the plate with a sawed off table leg as a bat.  “I wasn’t going to hit him anyway,” explained Cash.

Dock Ellis Could Be a Dominating Pitcher

Now, Ryan was naturally a little wild but he was always in control of his emotions and his focus.  The same can’t be said of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Dock Ellis.  When the right-hander took to the hill in San Diego on this date in 1970 he sported a pedestrian  4-4 record.  In his four losses, his lack of control was a key reason for the team’s defeat.  Wildness was certainly a hall mark of this game as well except for the final 3 innings.  Observers say that Ellis’ concentration suddenly became laser like and he only allowed one baserunner over the last 3 frames.     The thing is that Ellis did not even know he was going to pitch that night.  He thought that he wasn’t going to pitch until the next day.  So, what exactly  does a big leaguer do on an off day? 

Dock Ellis was known as a "free spirit"

Well, the Pirates had finished a series in San Francisco on Wednesday June 10th and after the game, the team flew to San Diego where they were to start a weekend series on Friday June 12, 1970, hence  the team was off on Thursday.   So, after the team arrived in San Diego, Ellis decided it was a good time to take a couple of trips.  First he dropped acid and then drove to Los Angeles to spend the team’s off day with friends.  He was up until all hours of the night drinking screw drivers and smoking dope.  When he woke up around noon, he promptly took another hit of acid.  He figured that it was a good thing to do since he was not going to pitch until Friday.  What Dock Ellis didn’t know was that it was Friday.  Ellis had slept all day Thursday.     About an hour after venturing into his second inning of Purple Haze, his girlfriend informed him that he was scheduled to pitch that night.  Whoops!   So, he caught a quick flight from LA to San Diego and arrived in time for the game.  What’s a guy to do who is tripping on LSD before he starts throwing 90 mph fastballs to batters? Should you call in sick? Nope; can’t let the team down.  Dock decided it was a good idea to load up on 6 amphetimines!

Ellis Was Pretty Care-Free In His 20's but Later Gave His Time to Rehabilitate Prisoners

Ellis recalled later, “I can only remember bits and pieces of the game.  I was psyched.”   I suppose he’s lucky that he didn’t have a “bad trip” because Ellis says that he had a “feeling of euphoria” and was “zeroed in on the cather’s glove.”  Ellis admitted though that he did not hit the catcher’s mitt too much.  See, Ellis hit one batter and walked 8 others.  After 6 innings the count was one hit batter and 7 walks!   Of the 9 total baserunners, 3 successfully stole bases off him, but no one crossed  the plate…and no one registered a base hit.  But, Ellis doesn’t remember much of that either.  He recalls the bases being loaded a couple of times and he remembers hitting the batter…but that’s about it.  What he does remember is the hallucinations he had while on the mound and most observers say that its a miracle that he not only pitched a no-hitter but also did not hurt or kill anyone.    As it turns out, Ellis can thank Willie Stargell for his success as the slugger hit two solo homeruns to secure the 2-0 win.  This was truly an ugly no-hitter that has only gotten uglier 40 years later when it is now known that Dock Ellis threw the only LSD aided No-Hitter in Major League History.

SPC Severe Weather Outlook June 12 2010

Weather Bottom Line:  Saturday morning featured that little shortwave that I had mentioned yesterday.  As I had suspected it was mainly just  a rain event with perhaps some thunder.  It will continue to be warm and humid throughout the day.  The next disturbance on Saturday morning was well out to the west so it fits that we get our next best chance of rain late Saturday night into early Sunday morning.  The timing will also limit the severe potential but heavy rain in spots is possible.   After that, I suspect that this unsettled pattern will stick around for a few days so get used to the unseasonably warm and humid conditions with periods of rain and t’storms passing through from time to time.

Mr. Robinson’s Day April 15, 2008

Chilly start across the area Tuesday but we begin a nice warm up by the afternoon and carry it through the rest of the week. Tons of sun.  Rain returns by the end of the week so enjoy the several nice spring days.  Hopefully you covered your tender plants.  I covered our hydrangia.

On This Date In History:  On April 15, 1947 Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play in the Major Leagues.  He had been a 4 sport letterman at UCLA.  Many say he could have played in the NFL.  His brother Matthew was maybe even faster than the fleet Jackie as Matthew won the silver medal in the 200 meter dash in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin behind Jesse Owens. 

The man who helped to put Robinson on the Brooklyn Dodgers was Dodger Vice President Branch Rickey.  Rickey was an old time baseball man who felt after WWII that the color barrier in baseball needed to be broken.  Robinson was the man he felt to do it.  Robinson was smart, he was very very good and he had enough intestinal fortitude to handle it.  Rickey warned Robinson that he had to maintain his composure and take  the insults and the abuse from other players, the fans and even his own team mates.  Rickey himself was the subject of disdain from many owners.  But, Robinson did not have just Rickey in his corner.  When several players on his team threatened not to play, tough, old-style baseball manager Leo Durocher told the threatening players that he’d rather trade them than not play Robinson.  That set the tone.  When fans hurled insults and worse at Robinson, teammate, Louisvillian and Hall of Famer Pee Wee Reese stood on the field with his arm around Robinson.  He was also supported by star Detroit Tiger Hank Greenberg, league commissioner Ford Frick and MLB commissioner Happy Chandler, another Kentuckian.

Slowly, as Robinson excelled, he was accepted by fans. He won the Rookie of the Year award and there was even a song written about him called “Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?”.   Two years after he went into the majors, he testified about discrimination before the House Un-American Activities Committee.  In 1952 he publically chastised the New York Yankees for not having any Black ball players.  He ended his career with a .311 batting average and also stole home a record 19 times.  That’s why I chose the picture above.  He is stealing home in the 1955 World Series.  That’s Yogi Berra waiting for the pitch knowing that Robinson is barrelling down on him.  Jackie was safe and the Dodgers won the Series. He was the league MVP in 1949.

Robinson was elected to the Hall of Fame and continued to quietly but forcibly be active in the Civil Rights movement.   While he was courageously supported by men like Reese, Durocher and Greenberg, it was Jackie Robinson’s personal courage, integrity and honor that was more responsible for opening the door to all players in the Major Leagues and in all of sport.  It is arguably perhaps the biggest first step toward Civil Rights in the United States.  A little over a year after Robinson blasted onto the scene, President Harry Truman desegregated the armed forces of the United States. 

Jackie Robinson died in 1972 but this date is best to be remembered as Jackie Robinson Day.  It’s certainly more representative of the American Spirit than it being tax day.

Ron, the Goldfish, The Hammer and Storms? April 8, 2008

Forecast looks to be on track from what I saw this morning.  As Led Zepplin said, The Song Remains the Same.  We have a frontal system approaching but the main low is lifting to the north and west of us so the front it drags through will be relatively weak.   Look for some showers to move in along and ahead of the front early Wednesday morning.  There may even be general light rain for the morning drive.  As the boundary moves through the general showers should move out with them.  My biggest concern is that the front may get hung up close enough to our east and south that we get some over-running scattered showers late Wednesday because, in response to a strong and vigorous low coming up out of Texas, the front will stop and come back as a warm front.  As it approaches early Thursday, showers will probably accompany it.  But  it still looks like to me that most of Thursday and Thursday evening will be dry.  It will be warm and relatively humid, setting the stage for Friday.  The cold front comes through Friday and strong storms will be possible.  We’re still talking about 4 days out but I suspect we’ll be in the slight risk for severe weather.  My guess is that, from the data I’ve seen, our biggest threat will be gusty winds and hail.  I suspect there will be a tornado outbreak, say in Arkansas but it may be  close enough to keep an eye peeled.  I’ll post the severe maps when they come out tomorrow.  Unfortunately, the rest of the prognostication looks on track and that is for a cloudy and chilly Thunder.

We’ll talk more about the storm potential tomorrow when the storm shows itself better.  I’ve gotten some phone calls from frantic viewers who quote this person or that person saying it will be this or that.  Truth is that it’s speculation at this point and much of what I have heard is extremely reckless. 

On This Date In History:  On This Date in 1981, President Ronald Reagan got a goldfish.  On March 31, Reagan had been shot by would be assassin John Hinckley, Jr.  Reagan received numerous well wishes from many Americans but one was perhaps the greatest.  Ten-year-old Barney Bullard of Albany, New York sent the president a goldfish…via the US Mail!  And you know what? It got there alive and intact in its water-filled plastic bag.  The note attached said he included “a companion, a goldfish named Ronald Reagan II.  Just feed him daily every morning and he will be fine.”  Ron the fish became known as the “first fish” and was placed in a tank affixed with the presidential seal.  Ron II lived happily in the White House for over 3 years.

On April 8, 1974 Henry Aaron saw a 1-0 pitch from Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Al Downing that was too good to pass up.  “The Hammer”  deposited the pitch over the 385 foot sign in left field at Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium for his 715th homerun of his career, passing legendary Babe Ruth.  The ball was caught by Atlanta relief pitcher Tom House in the bullpen.  House promptly returned the ball  and Aaron struck  the famous pose you see above.  The Braves won the game 7-4 with Ron Reed getting the win and Buzz Capra the save.  But the day belonged to one of the most humble, yet proud athletes of the era.  Aaron was not flashy.  He never hit 50 homeruns in a season.  He was just consistent for a long time. He is still at or near the top of many of  the biggest batting records.  He did a commercial for Brut aftershave once in which he said “On the field, I let my bat to do the talking.  Off the field, I let my Brut do the talking.”  He was an is very classy, staying supportive of Barry Bonds in his chase in spite of the speculation running rampant.  One of the biggest signs that Bonds had “help” in passing Aaron’s record was when Hank Aaron seemed to withdraw his support.  As usual, Aaron said nothing but his actions spoke volumes.  In my book, “The Hammer” is still the homerun king. 

Oh, I got an answer about Thunder being a week earlier.  Passover begins at sunset on Friday 19th and organizers wanted to provide a date in which the most people possible in the community could participate.