Dock Ellis - Personal Life

Personal Life

Ellis was married four times. His first wife was Paula; they divorced in 1972. Ellis' second wife was Austine, the third wife was Jacquelyn, and the fourth was Hjordis. Ellis had four children and one grandchild; one of his daughters died in 2003 due to complications arising from type 1 diabetes. Ellis had a daughter, Shangalesa, with Paula. His son, Dock Ellis III, played college basketball at California State University, Bakersfield. Ellis stopped using drugs and alcohol when his son was an infant.

Ellis fought for players' rights, including the right to free agency. Jackie Robinson credited him with trying to further the rights of African American players, but warned him that he said too much. In 1971, Ellis testified before the United States Senate Subcommittee on Public Health about his experiences with sickle cell and later worked with people who had the disease and raised money for sickle cell research.

Ellis collaborated with future United States Poet Laureate Donald Hall on a book, Dock Ellis in the Country of Baseball, published in 1976. Although Hall knew of the LSD incident, he did not include it in the first edition of his book.