No No: A Dockumentary Page #5

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Well, dock was just crazy,

and he would do anything.

You never knew what

he was going to do.

You never knew what

he was going to say.

Every situation was fraught

for humor or high jinks

when dock was around.

He took almost nothing

seriously,

somewhat including

his own career.

I give Pittsburgh pirates

credit for drafting people

that was f***ing crazy.

Bruce kison:
I mean,

everybody was creative.

Clemente had his own,

you know, stargell,

Dave Parker came through,

and the Manny sanguillns.

I mean, there was always

something going on

in that clubhouse.

In that clubhouse.

Everybody was a victim.

Everybody was a target.

From Roberto to Willie,

it didn't matter.

Larry demery:
We were just

a close-knit ballclub.

Off days, if we were in another

city, we'd get together.

Not just the black ball players

that was on the team

but the white ball players, and

we'd go to... more than likely,

we'd go to Willie stargell's

suite, and we'd just hang out

and have food, drink, and

you know, just you know,

we were just that close knit.

The one thing that I never

will forget about dock

is when muhammad Ali walked

into the clubhouse.

Dave cash:
And that's the

first time I've seen dock

just kind of shut up.

Al Oliver:
And dock was

quick on his feet

and quick with his hands,

and him and Ali were sparring.

Dock could act like him,

you know, throw the punches.

He had the Ali shuffle, and

he had the flurry and the jabs.

Dave cash:
He jumps up in front

of Ali and starts jabbing,

and I thought, "oh, man!

What are you..

Are you crazy?"

And dock said,

"no, I can take him.

I can take him."

It was one of the greatest

sights I've ever seen,

it was one of the greatest

sights I've ever seen,

and the players were in awe.

They didn't realize how

dock could move his feet

so fast like Ali.

They were circling and dock's

doing the Ali shuffle

around and throwing punches,

and Ali gave him just

a quick little jab in the

middle of dock's chest,

and it folded his chest.

And it was... he didn't

even throw a punch.

It was just...

A tap?

Just a tap.

Gene clines:
He threw maybe

three or four punches that

scared the bejesus out of dock.

Scared the bejesus out of dock.

And it scared everybody,

and dock just kind of like

ran away and said, "oh, my God!"

I said, "come on, big mouth.

Here he is."

Commentator:
Sellout crowd

tonight.

Been sold out for months here.

54,000 in tiger stadium.

Floyd Hoffman:
At all-star

break, I think he was

13-3, 13-4.

Him and vida blue.

Him and vida blue.

And I don't know who was

interviewing him,

but he made the statement that

there 'ain't no way in hell

they're gonna start two black

pitchers in an all-star game.'

and after that statement

was made,

of course the newspapers

blew it up.

Dan Epstein:
I feel like dock

was very media savvy.

You know, he wanted

to start that game.

He knew vida blue was going

to be going for

the American league, and he was

pretty sure that sparky Anderson

the American league, and he was

pretty sure that sparky Anderson

was going to go with tom seaver

or Steve Carlton.

So he said to, you know,

whatever reporters were nearby,

"there's no way they're going to

put a brother against a brother

in the all-star game."

(Music)

See, dock was a

psychologist, too.

Dock would set people up, and

the media would fall for it.

He realized the racial tensions

that were going on

in the country, and baseball

gave him a platform

to speak his mind.

Commentator:
Well, all the

talk's been about vida blue,

but here's a fellow, dock Ellis,

who has quite a record himself.

He leads his league

in victories with 14.

He has the lowest earned run

average, and he has a 12-game

winning streak.

(Music)

Dan Epstein:
That's an

incredibly savvy move

and an incredibly ballsy move

for a player in 1971,

and an incredibly ballsy move

for a player in 1971,

especially a black player,

to just kind of come out

and use that sort of reverse

psychology to get what he wants.

Dock:
It's a

privilege being here.

It's a privilege also being

chosen as a starting pitcher.

Vida blue:
I don't know what it

did for baseball,

but I know what it did for the

afro-American community.

You know, it gave my people

a chance to stand up

and be proud about an

accomplishment of having

two African American players

starting in the all-star game.

Commentator:
He was booed today

when his name was announced

as the starting pitcher...

Been making the

newspapers and radio.

You always prayed and hoped

that no one would challenge

dock racially because dock

would stand up

and put you in your place.

Dock:
You know, the threats

and letters,

they never really bothered me.

They wanted to go down,

we could go down.

They threatened me.

Threatened to shoot me.

If you stick your head

over the dugout,

if you stick your head

over the dugout,

we're going to shoot you,

and I had my head

over the dugout the whole game.

Really, it was pretty rough.

I was warned by Jackie Robinson

about things that was

going to be afforded me that

I was not going to get.

That I would look over my

shoulder and my brothers

wouldn't be there because of the

way I... the things I stood for.

I need my glasses.

You might ...

Interviewer:
Oh, the

Jackie Robinson letter?

Dock:
Here it is.

Dock:
Here it is.

Interviewer:
Actually,

could you read that?

Dock:
I read your comments

in our paper the last few days

and wanted you to know

how much I appreciate

your courage and honesty.

In my opinion, progress for

today's players will only come

from this kind of dedication.

I am sure also you know some

of the possible consequences.

The news media, while knowing

full well you are

right and honest, will use every

means to get back at you.

There will be times when

you will ask yourself,

there will be times when

you will ask yourself,

"is it worth it all?"

I can only say, "dock, it is."

And even though you will want

to yield, in the long run,

your own feeling about yourself

will be most important.

Try not to be left alone.

(Choked up) Try to get more

players to understand

your views, and you will

find great support.

(Sobbing) You have made a

real contribution.

I again appreciate what you

are doing - continued success.

I again appreciate what you

are doing - continued success.

Jackie Robinson

(sobbing) Aw, man.

I never read that like that.

Aw, sh*t.

There was a lot of older black

players at that time

that never said anything.

I mean, great players.

They never said anything

because they didn't want

the heat on them.

What dock did, he would come

out and he would say it.

What dock did, he would come

out and he would say it.

And it was the truth.

In our generation, yeah, we

put up with a whole lot.

When dock came in, it was a

little bit different story.

In our day, we didn't push it,

but it needed to be pushed

at that time because maybe

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