:John Ellis (baseball)
{{Short description|American baseball player (1948–2022)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=John Ellis
|position=First baseman / Catcher
|image=John Ellis 1970.jpg
|caption=Ellis in 1970
|birth_date={{birth date|1948|8|21}}
|birth_place=New London, Connecticut, U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2022|4|5|1948|8|21}}
|death_place=New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=May 17
|debutyear=1969
|debutteam=New York Yankees
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=October 3
|finalyear=1981
|finalteam=Texas Rangers
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=Batting average
|stat1value=.262
|stat2label=Home runs
|stat2value=69
|stat3label=Runs batted in
|stat3value=391
|teams=
- New York Yankees ({{mlby|1969}}–{{mlby|1972}})
- Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|1973}}–{{mlby|1975}})
- Texas Rangers ({{mlby|1976}}–{{mlby|1981}})
}}
John Charles Ellis (August 21, 1948 – April 5, 2022) was an American professional baseball player who played as a first baseman and catcher in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1981. He played for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and Texas Rangers.
Career
Ellis was a standout football and baseball player at New London High School in New London, Connecticut, earning the nicknames "New London Strong Boy" and the "Moose".{{cite web | last1=Amore | first1=Dom | last2=Courant | first2=Hartford | title=John Ellis, famed slugger from New London who raised millions to help families fighting cancer, dead at 73 | website=Yahoo! Sports | date=April 7, 2022 | url=https://sports.yahoo.com/john-ellis-famed-slugger-london-205200222.html | access-date=April 8, 2022}} He signed with the New York Yankees as an undrafted free agent in 1966. After playing in the minor leagues, he made his major league debut in 1969 as an injury replacement for catcher Jake Gibbs. Ellis hit an inside-the-park home run in his major league debut. With Thurman Munson becoming the Yankees new starting catcher in 1970, the Yankees moved Ellis to first base. He batted .248 with seven home runs and 29 runs batted in (RBIs) in 78 games during the 1970 season.{{cite news|first1=Sean |last1=Krofssik |url=https://www.myrecordjournal.com/Sports/Meriden-Sports/Former-RJ-executive-editor-Jim-Smith-pens-book-on-former-Yankee-John-Ellis.html |title=SPORTS BOOKS: The life and times of Connecticut's Johnny Ellis |newspaper=Record-Journal |date=October 17, 2021 |accessdate=April 7, 2022}} For the 1972 season, Ellis was Munson's backup catcher.{{cite news|last=Koppett |first=Leonard |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/03/30/archives/yanks-will-carry-only-2-catchers-munson-and-ellis-to-stay-pena.html |title=YANKS WILL CARRY ONLY 2 CATCHERS – The New York Times |work=The New York Times |date=March 30, 1972 |accessdate=April 8, 2022}}
Ellis was traded along with Charlie Spikes, Rusty Torres, and Jerry Kenney from the Yankees to the Cleveland Indians for Graig Nettles and Jerry Moses at the Winter Meetings on November 27, 1972.{{cite news|last=Durso |first=Joseph |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/11/28/archives/mets-send-agee-to-the-astros-for-pair-yanks-trade-four-to-get-graig.html |title=Durso, Joseph. "Mets Send Agee to the Astros for Pair; Yanks Trade Four to Get Graig Nettles," The New York Times, Tuesday, November 28, 1972. Retrieved October 24, 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=November 28, 1972 |accessdate=April 7, 2022}} He became the first designated hitter in Cleveland Indians history in 1973.{{cite web|url=https://www.theday.com/article/20210815/ENT02/210819887|title=Book tells the story of New London's John Ellis, whose baseball career was a prelude to his calling|first=John|last=Ruddy|work=The Day|date=August 15, 2021|accessdate=April 7, 2022}} Ellis had his best season in 1974, when he hit .285 with 10 home runs and 64 RBIs in 128 games. That year, Ellis caught Dick Bosman's no-hitter on July 19.{{cite web |first1=Tom |last1=Keegan |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1994-07-19-1994200031-story.html |title=20 years later, no-hitter remains a thrill for Bosman |newspaper= Baltimore Sun |date=July 19, 1994 |accessdate=April 7, 2022}}
Ellis was dealt from the Indians to the Texas Rangers for Ron Pruitt and Stan Thomas at the Winter Meetings on December 9, 1975.[https://www.nytimes.com/1975/12/10/archives/veeck-has-funds-to-pay-white-sox-price-today-veeck-set-to-buy-white.html Durso, Joseph. "Veeck Has Funds to Pay White Sox Price Today," The New York Times, Wednesday, December 10, 1975.] Retrieved October 16, 2022. He played for the Rangers through the 1981 season, when he batted .138 in 28 games. The Rangers released Ellis before the start of the 1982 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/03/30/The-Texas-Rangers-Tuesday-sought-permission-to-give-John/7732386312400/ |title=The Texas Rangers Tuesday sought permission to give John... – UPI Archives |publisher=Upi.com |date=March 30, 1982 |accessdate=April 7, 2022}} He retired from baseball with a .262 batting average, 69 home runs, and 391 RBIs. When he was released, Ellis took a position as a scout for the Rangers.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/31/sports/sports-people-rudy-law-to-white-sox.html |title=SPORTS PEOPLE; Rudy Law to White Sox – The New York Times |work=The New York Times |date=March 31, 1982 |accessdate=April 8, 2022}}
Post-playing career
Ellis invested in real estate as an offseason hobby. In 1977, he established his own real estate firm.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1915&dat=19770208&id=FCEiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vHMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5484,1446813&hl=en|title=The Day – Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}
Ellis was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma when he was 38 years old. He founded the Connecticut Cancer Foundation (formerly Connecticut Sports Foundation Against Cancer) with his wife Jane,{{cite web|last=Sisson |first=William |url=https://www.anglersjournal.com/people/the-battler |title=Profile of John Ellis, fisherman and former professional baseball player – Anglers Journal – A Fishing Life |publisher=Anglers Journal |date=August 2, 2016 |accessdate=April 8, 2022}} which helps cancer patients financially and funds cancer research. The foundation hosts an annual charity auction event at Mohegan Sun notable attendees including Roger Clemens, Mickey Mantle, Derek Jeter, Goose Gossage, Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, and other professional baseball players.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/wfan-radiothon-connecticut-cancer-benefit/ |title=WFAN Radiothon Is Friday; Items Being Auctioned To Benefit Connecticut Cancer Patients – CBS New York |publisher=Cbsnews.com |date=February 8, 2016 |accessdate=April 8, 2022}}{{Cite web |title=Connecticut Cancer Foundation {{!}} Helping Cancer Patients |url=https://www.ctcancerfoundation.org/ |access-date=2024-08-11 |language=en-US}}
Personal life
Ellis had two children, John and Erika. His son, John J. Ellis, was a baseball standout and played at the University of Maine and in the Texas Rangers system for three seasons.{{cite web|url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/E/John-Ellis.shtml |title=John Ellis |website=The Baseball Cube |accessdate=July 24, 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070509050219/http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/E/john-ellis.shtml |archivedate=May 9, 2007}}
Ellis died on April 5, 2022, at the Yale New Haven Health System's Smilow Cancer Hospital, after a recurrence of his cancer.{{cite web|url=https://www.theday.com/local-news/20220407/john-ellis-new-london-native-and-former-major-league-baseball-player-dies-of-cancer|title=John Ellis, New London native and former major league baseball player, dies|work=The Day|first=Brian |last=Hallenbeck|date=April 7, 2022|accessdate=April 7, 2022}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Portal|Biography|Baseball}}
{{Baseballstats |mlb=113818 |espn= |br=e/ellisjo01 |fangraphs= |brm=ellis-002joh |retro=E/Pellij101 }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, John}}
Category:Major League Baseball first basemen
Category:Major League Baseball catchers
Category:Baseball players from New London County, Connecticut
Category:New York Yankees players
Category:Cleveland Indians players
Category:Syracuse Chiefs players
Category:Fort Lauderdale Yankees players
Category:Kinston Eagles players
Category:Texas Rangers players
Category:Sportspeople from New London, Connecticut
Category:Businesspeople from Connecticut