Early Life
Ellis attended Gardena High School in Gardena, California. At the age of 14, he began drinking and using drugs.
Ellis played for the school's basketball team, recording 21 assists in one game. He played baseball as an infielder for a local semi-professional team called the "Pittsburgh Pirates Rookies", along with future major leaguers Bobby Tolan, Roy White, Ron Woods, Reggie Smith, Don Wilson, Bob Watson, and Dave Nelson; the team was managed by Chet Brewer. However, Ellis refused to play for the Gardena High School baseball team, because a baseball player referred to him as a "spearchucker".
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. He appeared in four games and was named all-league. Ellis then attended Los Angeles Harbor College (LAHC), a junior college.
At the age of 17, Ellis was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia. The diagnosis was later changed to sickle cell trait.
Read more about this topic: Dock Ellis
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