Fact Check: Did Dock Ellis throw a no-hitter on LSD? Examining infamous achievement on its anniversary

June 12 is a date that will live forever in the story of baseball, as it was the day that Dock Ellis pitched a no-hitter. While no-hitters are always incredible, it's the story behind the performance that has lived on 53 years later. The legend behind Ellis' no-hitter grew with time as he reportedly delivered the greatest performance of his career while under the influence of LSD.

"#OTD in #MLB history (6/12/1970): At San Diego Stadium, Dock Ellis tosses a no-hitter against the #Padres during the first game of a doubleheader. Ellis would later acknowledge that he was under the influence of LSD during the game." - @NLCarolynMuse

Dock Ellis' now iconic performance will go down in history as either one of the greatest no-hitters or at least the most bizarre in MLB history. Prior to the shining performance, Ellis claimed to have believed it was still Thursday, though it was Friday, taking the LSD at noon though he was slated to be the opening pitcher a 6:05 pm that day.

When talking about the no-hitter, Ellis said he struggled to not only feel the ball in his hands but was unable to see the catcher and batter clearly. According to Ellis, catcher Jerry May wore reflective tape on his fingers to help him locate the strike zone.

"Dock Ellis threw a no-hitter under the effects of L$D during an MLB game in 1970" - @historyinmemes

Aided by strong defense, Ellis through 9.0 hitless innings, however, he did issue eight walks, while also recording six strikeouts. Thanks to a two-run home run from Willie Stargell, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the San Diego Padres 2-0, giving Dock the victory.

Some do not believe Dock Ellis' claims about being on LSD during the no-hitter

While the June 12, 1970 no-hitter against the San Diego Padres has now become engrained in the history of baseball, as with anything, there are some skeptics.

Reporters John Mehno and Bill Christine are among those who fail to believe in the story told by Ellis, citing a few holes in his story. Christine noted that if Dock Ellis arrived at the stadium 90 minutes before the game as he claimed, then the reporters would have been made aware.

"On this date in 1970, Dock Ellis no hits the Padres on acid. Bill Lee calls bullshit." - @HonestLarry1

Mehno, who spent time with Dock throughout his career, was skeptical of many of his stories, including the LSD-fueled no-hitter. That being said, the majority of those close to Ellis at the time were aware of his drug use, which would back up his claim of being on drugs at the time.

While there are skeptics, it is widely accepted that he was in fact on LSD at the time. A documentary made by Jeff Radice came out in 2014 called No-No: A Dockumentary exploring the life of Ellis, which is streaming for free on Tubi.tv.

Now 53 years later, there is no way to prove the truth of his claims as the story has become a legend and much like his performance, will remain untouched.