| John Ellis | |
|---|---|
 Ellis in 1970 | |
| First baseman /Catcher | |
| Born:(1948-08-21)August 21, 1948 New London, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| Died: April 5, 2022(2022-04-05) (aged 73) New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 17, 1969, for the New York Yankees | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 3, 1981, for the Texas Rangers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .262 |
| Home runs | 69 |
| Runs batted in | 391 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
John Charles Ellis (August 21, 1948 – April 5, 2022) was an American professionalbaseball player who played as afirst baseman andcatcher inMajor League Baseball from 1969 to 1981. He played for theNew York Yankees,Cleveland Indians, andTexas Rangers.
Ellis was a standout football and baseball player atNew London High School inNew London, Connecticut, earning the nicknames "New London Strong Boy" and the "Moose".[1][2] He signed with theNew York Yankees as anundraftedfree agent in 1966.[3] After playing in theminor leagues, he made his major league debut in 1969 as an injury replacement forcatcherJake Gibbs.[1] Ellis hit aninside-the-park home run in his major league debut. WithThurman Munson becoming the Yankees new starting catcher in 1970, the Yankees moved Ellis tofirst base. Hebatted .248 with sevenhome runs and 29runs batted in (RBIs) in 78 games during the 1970 season.[4] For the 1972 season, Ellis was Munson's backup catcher.[5]
Ellis was traded along withCharlie Spikes,Rusty Torres, andJerry Kenney from theYankees to theCleveland Indians forGraig Nettles andJerry Moses at theWinter Meetings on November 27, 1972.[6] He became the firstdesignated hitter in Cleveland Indians history in 1973.[7] Ellis had his best season in 1974, when he hit .285 with 10 home runs and 64 RBIs in 128 games.[1] That year, Ellis caughtDick Bosman'sno-hitter on July 19.[8]
Ellis was dealt from theIndians to theTexas Rangers forRon Pruitt andStan Thomas at theWinter Meetings on December 9, 1975.[9] 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.[10] He retired from baseball with a .262 batting average, 69 home runs, and 391 RBIs.[1] When he was released, Ellis took a position as ascout for the Rangers.[11]
Ellis invested inreal estate as an offseason hobby. In 1977, he established his own real estate firm.[12]
Ellis was diagnosed withHodgkin lymphoma when he was 38 years old. He founded the Connecticut Cancer Foundation (formerly Connecticut Sports Foundation Against Cancer) with his wife Jane,[4][3] which helps cancer patients financially and fundscancer research. The foundation hosts an annual charity auction event atMohegan Sun notable attendees includingRoger Clemens,Mickey Mantle,Derek Jeter,Goose Gossage,Johnny Bench,Yogi Berra,Joe DiMaggio, and other professional baseball players.[13][14]
Ellis had two children, John and Erika.[1] His son, John J. Ellis, was a baseball standout and played at theUniversity of Maine and in the Texas Rangers system for three seasons.[15]
Ellis died on April 5, 2022, at theYale New Haven Health System's Smilow Cancer Hospital, after a recurrence of his cancer.[1]
