Baseball

(The fastest pitcher nobody ever knew was Steve Dalkowski, who had horrible control issues and terrified Ted Williams. Williams faced Dalkowski once in a spring training game, "Fastest ever", I never want to face him again." )

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"I'm just going to mow the lineup down. Don't even give me no signal. Just try to catch the ball. If you can't catch it, forget it." — Dock Ellis to Pirates catcher Manny Sanguillen, May 1, 1974.



11 Pitches, Three Hit Batters: The Day Dock Ellis Went To War

Dock Ellis is moderately famous for throwing at batters. On May 1, 1974, he tied a major-league record by hitting three batters in a row. They were the first three batters up, in the first inning. They were Cincinnati Reds batters. Dock's control was just fine.

Four days earlier, I had seen him at a party in Pittsburgh. I wandered around, talking to various people. Dock's attorney and friend Tom Reich was there, shaking his head in disapproval of a plan of Dock's. I met Dock in the kitchen fixing a drink. I asked him with some awe, "Are you really going to hit every Cincinnati ballplayer Wednesday night?"

He returned the awe. "How you know that?" he said.

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https://thestacks.deadspin.com/eleven-pitches-three-hit-batters-the-day-dock-ellis-w-1695974523