Dock Ellis' no-hitter on acid becomes great animated short film

The next time someone compiles a list of the greatest baseball films ever, the work won't be complete until it includes this 4-1/2 minute animated short by artist James Blagden. It's a moment-by-moment imagining of the time in 1970 when Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Dock Ellis, so he famously claimed, pitched a no-hitter while tripping on acid. Brought to light by the sports and culture site No Mas, the film is a surreal trip in itself. And no psychedelic drugs are needed to enjoy it to the fullest. It uses audio — which is precious to begin with — of Ellis telling the story himself on an NPR program broadcast in March of 2008. It reveals some interesting details, such as Ellis getting his stimulants (which he claimed were used by "90 percent of the major leagues") from a female dealer in the stands at Jack Murphy Stadium before the game at San Diego. Blagden isn't short on complementary touches, either, such as putting curlers in Ellis' hair...