Editing Dock Ellis (section)

==Early life==
Born in [[Los Angeles, California]], Ellis attended [[Gardena High School]] in [[Gardena, California|Gardena]]. At age 14, he began [[Alcoholic drink|drinking alcohol]] and using drugs.<ref name=latobit/><ref name=lat1990/>

Ellis played for the school's [[High school basketball|basketball]] team, recording 21 [[assist (basketball)|assists]] in one game.<ref name="high times">{{cite web|first=Keven |last=McAlester |url=http://www.houstonpress.com/2005-06-23/news/high-times/full/ |title=High Times|publisher=Houston Press |date=June 23, 2005 |access-date=July 14, 2012}}</ref> He played baseball as an [[infielder]] for a local [[semi-professional]] team called the Pittsburgh Pirates Rookies, along with future major leaguers Willie Crawford, Bill Rohr, Tom Harrison, [[Bobby Tolan]], [[Roy White]], [[Ron Woods]], [[Reggie Smith]], [[Don Wilson (baseball)|Don Wilson]], [[Bob Watson]] and [[Dave Nelson]]. The team was managed by [[Chet Brewer]].<ref name=centennial/> However, Ellis refused to play for the Gardena High School baseball team because a baseball player referred to him as a "[[List of ethnic slurs#S|spearchucker]]".<ref name="high times"/>

When Ellis was caught drinking and smoking [[marijuana]] in a high school bathroom during his senior year, the school agreed not to expel him if he agreed to play for the school's baseball team.<ref name="couldn't pitch without pills">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-06-30-sp-266-story.html |title=Dock Ellis: The Man Who Pitched a No-Hitter While Under the Influence of LSD Has Found a New Delivery: He Coordinates a Substance-Abuse Rehabilitation Program : Ellis: 'I Couldn't Pitch Without Pills' |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=June 30, 1985 |access-date=July 14, 2012}}</ref> He appeared in four games and was named all-league.<ref name="high times"/> Ellis then attended [[Los Angeles Harbor College]] (LAHC), a [[junior college]].<ref name="lat1990">{{cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-07-18-sp-603-story.html | title=Remember When: Ellis' No-Hitter Against Padres Was High Drama | work=Los Angeles Times | date=July 18, 1990 | access-date=July 14, 2012 | author=Wolf, Bob}}</ref>

Ellis was diagnosed with [[sickle cell anemia]] at age 17; the diagnosis was later changed to [[sickle cell trait]].<ref name="sickle cell"/>