Happy Dock Ellis LSD No-Hitter Day - MLB

Today is the 47th anniversary of Dock Ellis throwing a no-hitter while on acid.

As I’ve said several times in the past, the wonder and majesty of Ellis’ accomplishment is not about how weird and crazy it is that a dude who was as high as a kite tossed a no-hitter. I mean, yes, that’s amazing and amusing, but it’s easy to make drug jokes and because of that they’re kind of cheap.

No, my takeaway from the Ellis LSD no-hitter has always been a lesson about how to approach life when you’re really not prepared for it.

Ellis could’ve begged out that day. Said his arm was sore or that he was tired or claimed he had flu-like symptoms. Maybe if his mind was slightly more clear than it was he might’ve. If so, Danny Murtaugh could’ve had Luke Walker or Bruce Dal Canton or someone make a spot start. It probably would’ve been the most prudent course. But for whatever reason he didn’t. He hopped a flight and made it to the ballpark just in time, took the ball and did his best. It was far from the prettiest no-hitter ever. Ellis walked eight guys, hit a dude and allowed three stolen bases, but he got the job done.

Ellis’ mind was obviously and understandably not completely on his task on June 12, 1970, but that happens to all of us sometimes too, right? We don’t get a pass for showing up impaired like Ellis did, of course, but for whatever reason, we all approach our day while at something less-than-our best from time to time. Unprepared. Distracted. Sick. Just off our game. And, yeah, most of the time when that happens, the results sort of suck.

But the universe isn’t fair and sometimes it smacks us down even when we deserve better. Dock Ellis went 11-17 the year before his LSD no-hitter. I bet on at least one of those days in 1969 he showed up to the park totally prepared. Got a great night’s sleep, ate a healthy breakfast and had a well thought-out game plan for the opposing lineup. And I bet he got crushed all the same. Same thing happens to us sometimes too: great preparation, awful results.

Which makes days like Dock Ellis’ day on June 12, 1970 so inspirational. It reminds us that, sometimes, we are able to fight through whatever is clouding our mind or inhibiting our body and sometimes things work out OK. Sometimes fate or chance allows us to prevail even when we probably shouldn’t. Sometimes, either randomly or by design, the cosmos balance out the scales a little bit. When we remember that, it allows us not to sweat it too much if we get smacked down despite our best efforts or to worry too much if we approach a day at something less than our best. Don’t despair: it may just work out.

Anyway, that’s what I think about when I think about Dock Ellis tossing a no-hitter on LSD. That and a couple of songs and a video which are a great way to waste some time today:

My band wrote a song about this! https://t.co/rjx3eXXpcE

— Weed Detective (@WolfmanZack415) June 12, 2017

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CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.